tr.v., earned, earn·ing, earns.
- To gain especially for the performance of service, labor, or work: earned money by mowing lawns.
- To acquire or deserve as a result of effort or action: She earned a reputation as a hard worker.
- To yield as return or profit: a savings account that earns interest on deposited funds.
earn (one's) spurs (or stripes)
- To gain a position through hard work and the accumulation of experience, often in the face of difficulties.
[Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian.]
earner earn'er n.SYNONYMS earn, deserve, merit, rate, win. These verbs mean to gain as a result of one's behavior or effort: earns a large salary; deserves our congratulations; a suggestion that merits consideration; an event that rates a mention in the news; a candidate who won wide support.
earn2 (ûrn)
intr.v. Obsolete, earned, earn·ing, earns.
To yearn.
[Middle English ernen, variant of yernen. See yearn.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
