earthbearing

Earthbearing is a term used in a few specialized contexts to describe the interaction between the earth and an object, structure, or concept that bears or carries earth.

In construction, earthbearing describes designs in which earth serves as a primary structural element or as a retaining medium that transfers loads into the ground, such as rammed-earth walls, earth-filled embankments, or bermed structures.

In geotechnical engineering, the related idea is bearing capacity; the phrase "earthbearing" is not common in standard practice, and professionals typically use terms like load-bearing, bearing capacity, or earth-retaining methods.

In archaeology and anthropology, earthbearing may appear in discussions of artifacts buried in the soil or in symbolic references to earth as a bearer of life. In literary contexts, it can be metaphorical, describing the earth as a burden or a foundation that bears memory, ritual, or history.

Etymology: a compound of earth and bearing; attested in recent centuries in English as a descriptive or metaphorical term.

See also: bearing capacity, load-bearing, rammed earth, earthworks.