ppl. a. poet. or rhetorical.
1. Born by emerging from the earth: applied e.g. to the Titans, to the offspring of the dragon’s teeth of Cadmus, etc. Also = AUTOCHTHONOUS.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turkes (1638), 231. They had like the earth-borne brethren, wrought one anothers destruction.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VI. 403. Young turtles … are seen bursting from the sand, as if earth-born.
1831. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), II. 324. Lessing still towers in the distance like an Earth-born Atlas.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 41. Cadmus and his earth-born men.
2. Born on the earth; of earthly or mortal race, as opposed to angelic or divine.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 360. Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps, Not Spirits.
1738. Wesley, Psalms, cxlvii. II. vi. By all the Earth-born Race His Honours be express’d.
b. transf. Of humble, as opposed to royal birth.
1709. E. Smith, Phædra & Hippolitus, I. ii. (1711), 11. Earth-born Lycon may ascend the Throne.
3. Of things: Produced by the earth; arising from the earth.
1702. Rowe, Tamerl., V. i. Behold the vain Effects of Earth-born Pride.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. xi. Nor were these earth-born Castles bare.
1864. Pusey, Lect. Daniel, ix. 563. The serene depth of heaven … undimmed … by the black earth-born clouds, which roll so far below.
