| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| earn1 |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  ûrn |
| TRANSITIVE VERB: | Inflected forms: earned, earn·ing, earns
1. To gain especially for the performance of service, labor, or work: earned money by mowing lawns. 2. To acquire or deserve as a result of effort or action: She earned a reputation as a hard worker. 3. To yield as return or profit: a savings account that earns interest on deposited funds. | | IDIOM: | earn (one's) spurs (or stripes) To gain a position through hard work and the accumulation of experience, often in the face of difficulties. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian. | | OTHER FORMS: | earn er —NOUN
| | SYNONYMS: | earn1, deserve, merit, rate1, 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.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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