earls
- 1Plural of earl.
The earls of the northern counties refused to support the new king.
Two earls and a duke signed the treaty on behalf of the crown.
Note
The plain -s plural names noblemen of a single rank, set above viscounts and below marquesses in Britain and Ireland. A woman using the style is a countess, the title that matches a European count, so the full company is earls and countesses. Butterfly watchers use the same plural for Tanaecia butterflies, whose genus also holds counts and viscounts, a small peerage on the wing.
earls is a form of earl
earl, noun: A British or Irish nobleman ranking just above a viscount and below a marquess, equivalent to a European count; a woman who bears the title is a countess. Full entry
- Forms
- earlearls plural
- Spelling
- earl → earls: add -s
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /z/.
Use it in a sentence
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