Etymology

earth-fast

Today it means: Firm or planted in the earth, and difficult to remove. Full definition →

Middle English *erthfast, *erthfeste ← Old English eorþfæst
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromeorþfæst“earthfast, fixed in the earth, firm in the earth”
  2. Middle English · inherited from*erthfast, *erthfeste
  3. English todayearth-fast

From Middle English *erthfast, *erthfeste, from Old English eorþfæst (“earthfast, fixed in the earth, firm in the earth”), equivalent to earth + fast.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.