[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

needlefish \nee"dlefish`\, n. zool.
      a the european great pipefish siphostoma acus or
          syngnathus acus; -- called also earl, and
          tanglefish.
      b the garfish.
          1913 webster
see also:
siphostoma acus syngnathus acus earl tanglefish 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

earl \earl\, n. oe. eorl, erl, as. eorl man, noble; akin to os.
   erl boy, man, icel. jarl nobleman, count, and possibly to gr.
   ? male, zend arshan man. cf. jarl.
   a nobleman of england ranking below a marquis, and above a
   viscount. the rank of an earl corresponds to that of a count
   comte in france, and graf in germany. hence the wife of an
   earl is still called countess. see count.
   1913 webster
see also:
jarl count 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

earl \earl\, n. zo"ol.
   the needlefish. ireland
   1913 webster

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

earl
     n : a british peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

39 moby thesaurus words for "earl":
   brahman, archduke, aristocrat, armiger, baron, baronet, blue blood,
   count, daimio, duke, esquire, gentleman, grand duke, grandee,
   hidalgo, lace-curtain, laird, landgrave, lord, lordling, magnate,
   magnifico, margrave, marquis, noble, nobleman, optimate, palsgrave,
   patrician, peer, seigneur, seignior, silk-stocking, squire, swell,
   thoroughbred, upper-cruster, viscount, waldgrave

[6] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

earl, eng. law. a title of nobility next below a marquis and above a 
viscount. 
     2. earls were anciently called comites, because they were wont comitari 
regem, to wait upon the king for counsel and advice. he was also called 
shireman, because each earl had the civil government of a shire. 
     3. after the norman conquest they were called counts, whence the shires 
obtained the names of counties. they have now nothing to do with the 
government of counties, which has entirely devolved on the sheriff, the 
earl's deputy, or vice comes. 

[7] : U.S. Gazetteer (1990)

earl, nc town, fips 19140
  location: 35.19493 n, 81.53429 w
  population 1990: 230 104 housing units
  area: 2.1 sq km land, 0.0 sq km water
earl, wi
  zip codes: 54875

[8] : U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

earl, nc -- u.s. town in north carolina
   population 2000:    234
   housing units 2000: 109
   land area 2000:     0.819678 sq. miles 2.122956 sq. km
   water area 2000:    0.000000 sq. miles 0.000000 sq. km
   total area 2000:    0.819678 sq. miles 2.122956 sq. km
   fips code:            19140
   located within:       north carolina nc, fips 37
   location:             35.195465 n, 81.534663 w
   zip codes 1990:    
   note: some zip codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   headwords:
    earl, nc
    earl

Earl >> E Words
Earl, definition of term: Earl
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