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ground
17 dictionary results for: Ground
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
ground1       [ground] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.the solid surface of the earth; firm or dry land: to fall to the ground.
2.earth or soil: stony ground.
3.land having an indicated character: rising ground.
4.Often, grounds. a tract of land appropriated to a special use: picnic grounds; a hunting ground.
5.Often, grounds. the foundation or basis on which a belief or action rests; reason or cause: grounds for dismissal.
6.subject for discussion; topic: Sex education is forbidden ground in some school curricula.
7.rational or factual support for one's position or attitude, as in a debate or argument: on firm ground; on shaky ground.
8.the main surface or background in painting, decorative work, lace, etc.
9.Fine Arts.
a.a coating of some substance serving as a surface for paint, ink, or other media in art: Lead white is a traditional ground for oil paintings.
b.ground color (def. 2).
10.(in perception) the background in a visual field, contrasted with the figure.
11.Also called etching ground. an acid-resistant substance, composed of wax, gum, and resin in varying proportions, applied to the entire surface of an etching plate and through which the design is drawn with an etching needle.
12.grounds, dregs or sediment: coffee grounds.
13.grounds, the gardens, lawn, etc., surrounding and belonging to a building.
14.Electricity. a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.
15.Music. ground bass.
16.Nautical. the bottom of a body of water.
17.the earth's solid or liquid surface; land or water.
18.Carpentry.
a.a strip of wood to which woodwork can be attached, set flush with the plaster finish of a room.
b.a strip of wood or length of corner bead used at an opening as a stop for plasterwork.
–adjective
19.situated on or at, or adjacent to, the surface of the earth: a ground attack.
20.pertaining to the ground.
21.Military. operating on land: ground forces.
–verb (used with object)
22.to lay or set on the ground.
23.to place on a foundation; fix firmly; settle or establish; found.
24.to instruct in elements or first principles: to ground students in science.
25.to furnish with a ground or background, as on decorative work.
26.to cover (wallpaper) with colors or other materials before printing.
27.Electricity. to establish a ground for (a circuit, device, etc.).
28.Nautical. to cause (a vessel) to run aground.
29.Aeronautics. to restrict (an aircraft or the like) to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc.
30.to forbid (a pilot) to fly because of bad health, failure to comply with safety regulations, or the like.
31.Informal. to put out of action or make unable to participate: The quarterback was grounded by a knee injury.
32.Informal. to restrict the activities, esp. the social activities, of: I can't go to the party—my parents have grounded me until my grades improve.
–verb (used without object)
33.to come to or strike the ground.
34.Baseball.
a.to hit a ground ball.
b.to ground out.
—Verb phrase
35.ground out, Baseball. to be put out at first base after hitting a ground ball to the infield.
—Idioms
36.break ground,
a.to plow.
b.to begin excavation for a construction project.
c.to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
37.cover ground,
a.to pass or travel over a certain area.
b.to make a certain amount of progress in dealing with a piece of work, subject, treatise, or the like: He talked for two hours without covering much ground.
38.cut the ground from under, to render (an argument, position, person, etc.) ineffective or invalid; refute: It didn't require much effort to cut the ground from under that case.
39.from the ground up,
a.gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level: She learned the business from the ground up.
b.extensively; thoroughly: The professor knew his subject from the ground up.
40.gain ground,
a.to make progress; advance.
b.to gain approval or acceptance: The case for air-pollution control is gaining ground throughout the country.
41.give ground, to yield to force or forceful argument; retreat: The disarmament talks reached an impasse when neither side would give ground on inspection proposals.
42.hold or stand one's ground, to maintain one's position; be steadfast: The referee stood his ground, though his decision was hotly contested by the crowd.
43.into the ground, beyond a reasonable or necessary point: You've stated your case, and you needn't run it into the ground.
44.lose ground,
a.to retreat or be forced back.
b.to lose one's advantage; suffer a reverse.
c.to wane in popularity or acceptance; begin to fail: Our candidate is losing ground in industrial areas.
45.off the ground, Informal. into action or well under way: The play never got off the ground.
46.on one's own ground, in an area or situation that one knows well.
47.on the ground, at the place of interest or importance; actively engaged: Minutes after the bank robbery reporters were on the ground to get the story.
48.shift ground, to change position in an argument or situation.
49.suit down to the ground, to be perfectly satisfactory; please greatly: This climate suits me down to the ground.
50.take the ground, Nautical. to become grounded at low water.
51.to ground,
a.into a den, burrow, shelter, or the like: a fox gone to ground.
b.into concealment or hiding: Rather than take the witness stand, she went to ground in another country.
[Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME grownd, grund, OE grund; c. D grond, G Grund; (v.) ME grundien, grownden to set on a foundation, establish, deriv. of the n.]

—Related forms
ground·a·ble, adjective
ground·a·bly, adverb
ground·ed·ly, adverb
ground·ed·ness, noun
groundward, groundwards, adverb, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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ground2       [ground] Pronunciation Key
–verb
1.a pt. and pp. of grind.
–adjective
2.reduced to fine particles or dust by grinding.
3.(of meat, vegetables, etc.) reduced to very small pieces by putting through a food processor or grinder: ground beef.
4.having the surface abraded or roughened by or as if by grinding, as in order to reduce its transparency: ground glass.
[Origin: 1755–65 for def. 2; see ground1]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
grind       [grahynd] Pronunciation Key verb, ground or (Rare) grind·ed; grind·ing; noun
–verb (used with object)
1.to wear, smooth, or sharpen by abrasion or friction; whet: to grind a lens.
2.to reduce to fine particles, as by pounding or crushing; bray, triturate, or pulverize.
3.to oppress, torment, or crush: to grind the poor.
4.to rub harshly or gratingly; grate together; grit: to grind one's teeth.
5.to operate by turning a crank: to grind a hand organ.
6.to produce by crushing or abrasion: to grind flour.
7.Slang. to annoy; irritate; irk: It really grinds me when he's late.
–verb (used without object)
8.to perform the operation of reducing to fine particles.
9.to rub harshly; grate.
10.to be or become ground.
11.to be polished or sharpened by friction.
12.Informal. to work or study laboriously (often fol. by away): He was grinding away at his algebra.
13.Slang. (in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner. Compare bump (def. 11).
–noun
14.the act of grinding.
15.a grinding sound.
16.a grade of particle fineness into which a substance is ground: The coffee is available in various grinds for different coffee makers.
17.laborious, usually uninteresting work: Copying all the footnotes was a grind.
18.Informal. an excessively diligent student.
19.Slang. a dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive or erotic manner. Compare bump (def. 20).
—Verb phrase
20.grind out,
a.to produce in a routine or mechanical way: to grind out magazine stories.
b.to extinguish by rubbing the lighted end against a hard surface: to grind out a cigarette.
[Origin: bef. 950; ME grinden, OE grindan; akin to Goth grinda-, L frendere]

—Related forms
grind·a·ble, adjective
grind·a·bil·i·ty, noun
grind·ing·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 2. crush, powder, comminute, pound. 3. persecute, plague, afflict, trouble. 4. abrade.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
grind       (grīnd)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   ground (ground), grind·ing, grinds

v.   tr.
    1. To crush, pulverize, or reduce to powder by friction, especially by rubbing between two hard surfaces: grind wheat into flour.
    2. To shape, sharpen, or refine with friction: grind a lens.
    3. To operate by turning a crank: ground a hurdy-gurdy.
    4. To produce or process by turning a crank: grinding a pound of beef.
  2. To rub (two surfaces) together harshly; gnash: grind the teeth.
  3. To bear down on harshly; crush.
  4. To oppress or weaken gradually: "Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law" (Oliver Goldsmith).
    1. To operate by turning a crank: ground a hurdy-gurdy.
    2. To produce or process by turning a crank: grinding a pound of beef.
  6. To produce mechanically or without inspiration: The factory grinds out a uniform product.
  7. To instill or teach by persistent repetition: ground the truth into their heads.

v.   intr.
  1. To perform the operation of grinding something.
  2. To become crushed, pulverized, or powdered by friction.
  3. To move with noisy friction; grate: a train grinding along rusty rails.
  4. Informal To devote oneself to study or work: grinding for a test; grinding away at housework.
  5. Slang To rotate the pelvis erotically, as in the manner of a stripteaser.

n.  
  1. The act of grinding.
  2. A crunching or grinding noise.
  3. A specific grade or degree of pulverization, as of coffee beans: drip grind.
  4. Informal A laborious task, routine, or study: the daily grind.
  5. Informal A student who works or studies excessively.
  6. Slang An erotic rotation of the pelvis.


[Middle English grinden, from Old English grindan; see ghrendh- in Indo-European roots.]

grind'ing·ly adv.
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ground 1       (ground)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
    1. The solid surface of the earth.
    2. The floor of a body of water, especially the sea.
    3. A large conducting body, such as the earth or an electric circuit connected to the earth, used as an arbitrary zero of potential.
    4. A conducting object, such as a wire, that is connected to such a position of zero potential.
  2. Soil; earth: level the ground for a lawn.
  3. An area of land designated for a particular purpose. Often used in the plural: a burial ground; parade grounds.
  4. The land surrounding or forming part of a house or another building. Often used in the plural: a guesthouse on the grounds of the mansion.
  5. An area or a position that is contested in or as if in battle: The soldiers held their ground against the enemy. Character witnesses helped the defendant stand her ground in the trial.
  6. Something that serves as a foundation or means of attachment for something else: a ground of white paint under the mural.
  7. A surrounding area; a background.
  8. The foundation for an argument, a belief, or an action; a basis. Often used in the plural.
  9. The underlying condition prompting an action; a cause. Often used in the plural: grounds for suspicion; a ground for divorce. See Synonyms at base1.
  10. An area of reference or discussion; a subject: The professor covered new ground in every lecture.
  11. grounds The sediment at or from the bottom of a liquid: coffee grounds.
  12. Electricity
    1. A large conducting body, such as the earth or an electric circuit connected to the earth, used as an arbitrary zero of potential.
    2. A conducting object, such as a wire, that is connected to such a position of zero potential.

v.   ground·ed, ground·ing, grounds

v.   tr.
  1. To place on or cause to touch the ground.
  2. To provide a basis for (a theory, for example); justify.
  3. To supply with basic information; instruct in fundamentals.
    1. To prevent (an aircraft or a pilot) from flying.
    2. Informal To restrict (someone) especially to a certain place as a punishment.
    3. Baseball To hit (a ball) onto the ground.
    4. Football To throw (a ball) to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
  5. Electricity To connect (an electric circuit) to a ground.
  6. Nautical To run (a vessel) aground.
    1. Baseball To hit (a ball) onto the ground.
    2. Football To throw (a ball) to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

v.   intr.
  1. To touch or reach the ground.
  2. Baseball To hit a ground ball: grounded to the second baseman.
  3. Nautical To run aground.

Phrasal Verb(s):
ground out Baseball
To be put out by hitting a ground ball that is fielded and thrown to first base.

Idiom(s):
drive/run into the ground
To belabor (an issue or a subject).

Idiom(s):
from the ground up
From the most basic level to the highest level; completely: designed the house from the ground up; learned the family business from the ground up.

Idiom(s):
off the ground
Under way, as if in flight: Because of legal difficulties, the construction project never got off the ground.

Idiom(s):
on (one's) own ground
In a situation where one has knowledge or competence: a sculptor back on her own ground after experiments with painting.

Idiom(s):
on the ground
At a place that is exciting, interesting, or important.

Idiom(s):
to ground
  1. Into a den or burrow: a fox going to ground.
  2. Into hiding.

[Middle English, from Old English grund.]

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ground 2       (ground)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   Past tense and past participle of grind.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
ground 
O.E. grund "foundation, ground, surface of the earth," especially "bottom of the sea" (a sense preserved in run aground), from P.Gmc. *grundus, which seems to have meant "deep place" (cf. O.Fris. grund, Du. grond, Ger. Grund "ground, soil, bottom;" O.N. grunn "a shallow place, grund "field, plain," grunnr "bottom"). No known cognates outside Gmc. Sense of "reason, motive" first attested c.1205; electrical sense is from 1870. Grounds "residue at the bottom of a liquid" (1340) is perhaps from past tense of grind (q.v.). Meaning "deny privileges" is 1940s, originally a punishment meted out to pilots (in which sense it is attested from 1931). Ground-hog is attested from 1784; Ground Hog Day first recorded 1871, Amer.Eng. Groundwork (1550) is originally "the solid base on which a structure is built;" fig. sense is from 1557. Groundling "theater patron in the pit" is from 1602, from the beginning emblematic of bad or unsophisticated taste.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
ground

noun
1. the solid part of the earth's surface; "the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land"; "the earth shook for several minutes"; "he dropped the logs on the ground" [syn: land] 
2. a rational motive for a belief or action; "the reason that war was declared"; "the grounds for their declaration" [syn: reason] 
3. the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; "they dug into the earth outside the church" [syn: earth] 
4. a relation that provides the foundation for something; "they were on a friendly footing"; "he worked on an interim basis" [syn: footing] 
5. a position to be won or defended in battle (or as if in battle); "they gained ground step by step"; "they fought to regain the lost ground" 
6. the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground; "he posed her against a background of rolling hills" [syn: background] 
7. material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use); "the land had never been plowed"; "good agricultural soil" [syn: land] 
8. a relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused [ant: figure] 
9. a connection between an electrical device and a large conducting body, such as the earth (which is taken to be at zero voltage) 
10. (art) the surface (as a wall or canvas) prepared to take the paint for a painting 
11. the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface [syn: flat coat] 

verb
1. fix firmly and stably; "anchor the lamppost in concrete" [syn: anchor] 
2. confine or restrict to the ground; "After the accident, they grounded the plane and the pilot" 
3. place or put on the ground 
4. instruct someone in the fundamentals of a subject 
5. bring to the ground; "the storm grounded the ship" 
6. hit or reach the ground 
7. throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage 
8. hit a groundball; "he grounded to the second baseman" 
9. hit onto the ground 
10. cover with a primer; apply a primer to [syn: prime] 
11. connect to a ground; "ground the electrical connections for safety reasons" 
12. use as a basis for; found on; "base a claim on some observation" [syn: establish] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

ground

In addition to the idioms beginning with ground, also see both feet on the ground; break ground; common ground; cover ground; cover the field (ground); cut the ground from under; down to the ground; ear to the ground; from the ground up; gain ground; get off the ground; give ground; happy hunting ground; hit the ground running; lose ground; on one's home ground; run into the ground; run to earth (ground); stamping ground; stand one's ground; worship the ground someone walks on.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
ground       (ground)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. A connection between an electrical conductor and the Earth. Grounds are used to establish a common zero-voltage reference for electric devices in order to prevent potentially dangerous voltages from arising between them and other objects. Also called earth.
  2. The set of shared points in an electrical circuit at which the measured voltage is taken to be zero. The ground is usually connected directly to the power supply and acts as a common "sink" for current flowing through the components in the circuit.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: ground
Function: noun
1 : the foundation or basis on which knowledge, belief, or conviction rests : a premise, reason, or collection of data upon which something (as a legal action or argument) relies for validity ground that the city…had wrongfully released…records —City of Lawton v. Moore, 868 Pacific Reporter, Second Series 690 (1993)> grounds for divorce>
2 : a piece or parcel of land ground for use during overflow periods —Bright v. Perkins, 239 South Western Reporter, Second Series 281 (1951)> ground from one man's land —Porter v. Arkansas Western Gas Company, 482 South Western Reporter, Second Series 598 (1972)> —ground·less adjective —ground·less·ly adverb —ground·less·ness noun

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Main Entry: ground
Function: transitive verb
: to furnish a ground for : set on a basis grounded the disclosure requirement in negligence law —Scott v. Bradford, 606 Pacific Reporter, Second Series 554 (1979)> grounded on erroneous assumptions>

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Ball Ground, GA (city, FIPS 5036) Location: 34.33722 N, 84.37694 W
Population (1990): 905 (362 housing units)
Area: 2.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 30107

Battle Ground, IN (town, FIPS 3718) Location: 40.50999 N, 86.83848 W
Population (1990): 806 (301 housing units)
Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 47920

Battle Ground, WA (city, FIPS 4475) Location: 45.78203 N, 122.54106 W
Population (1990): 3758 (1376 housing units)
Area: 6.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 98604

Stamping Ground, KY (city, FIPS 73038) Location: 38.27004 N, 84.68609 W
Population (1990): 698 (281 housing units)
Area: 1.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 40379

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (CDP, FIPS 175) Location: 39.47247 N, 76.12997 W
Population (1990): 5267 (986 housing units)
Area: 28.2 sq km (land), 1.6 sq km (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Ground

Ground\ (ground), n. [OE. ground, grund, AS. grund; akin to D. grond, OS., G., Sw., & Dan. grund, Icel. grunnr bottom, Goth. grundus (in composition); perh. orig. meaning, dust, gravel, and if so perh. akin to E. grind.]

1. The surface of the earth; the outer crust of the globe, or some indefinite portion of it.

There was not a man to till the ground. --Gen. ii. 5.

The fire ran along upon the ground. --Ex. ix. 23. Hence: A floor or pavement supposed to rest upon the earth.

2. Any definite portion of the earth's surface; region; territory; country. Hence: A territory appropriated to, or resorted to, for a particular purpose; the field or place of action; as, a hunting or fishing ground; a play ground.

From . . . old Euphrates, to the brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground. --Milton.

3. Land; estate; possession; field; esp. (pl.), the gardens, lawns, fields, etc., belonging to a homestead; as, the grounds of the estate are well kept.

Thy next design is on thy neighbor's grounds. --Dryden. 4.

4. The basis on which anything rests; foundation. Hence: The foundation of knowledge, belief, or conviction; a premise, reason, or datum; ultimate or first principle; cause of existence or occurrence; originating force or agency; as, the ground of my hope.

5. (Paint. & Decorative Art) (a) That surface upon which the figures of a composition are set, and which relieves them by its plainness, being either of one tint or of tints but slightly contrasted with one another; as, crimson Bowers on a white ground. See Background, Foreground, and Middle-ground. (b) In sculpture, a flat surface upon which figures are raised in relief. (c) In point lace, the net of small meshes upon which the embroidered pattern is applied; as, Brussels ground. See Brussels lace, under Brussels.

6. (Etching) A gummy composition spread over the surface of a metal to be etched, to prevent the acid from eating except where an opening is made by the needle.

7. (Arch.) One of the pieces of wood, flush with the plastering, to which moldings, etc., are attached; -- usually in the plural.

Note: Grounds are usually put up first and the plastering floated flush with them.

8. (Mus.) (a) A composition in which the bass, consisting of a few bars of independent notes, is continually repeated to a varying melody. (b) The tune on which descants are raised; the plain song. --Moore (Encyc.).

On that ground I'll build a holy descant. --Shak.

9. (Elec.) A conducting connection with the earth, whereby the earth is made part of an electrical circuit.

10. pl. Sediment at the bottom of liquors or liquids; dregs; lees; feces; as, coffee grounds.

11. The pit of a theater. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.

Ground angling, angling with a weighted line without a float.

Ground annual (Scots Law), an estate created in land by a vassal who instead of selling his land outright reserves an annual ground rent, which becomes a perpetual charge upon the land.

Ground ash. (Bot.) See Groutweed.

Ground bailiff (Mining), a superintendent of mines. --Simmonds.

Ground bait, bits of bread, boiled barley or worms, etc., thrown into the water to collect the fish, --Wallon.

Ground bass or base (Mus.), fundamental base; a fundamental base continually repeated to a varied melody.

Ground beetle (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of carnivorous beetles of the family Carabid[ae], living mostly in burrows or under stones, etc.

Ground chamber, a room on the ground floor.

Ground cherry. (Bot.) (a) A genus (Physalis) of herbaceous plants having an inflated calyx for a seed pod: esp., the strawberry tomato (P. Alkekengi). See Alkekengl. (b) A European shrub (Prunus Cham[ae]cerasus), with small, very acid fruit.

Ground cuckoo. (Zo["o]l.) See Chaparral cock.

Ground cypress. (Bot.) See Lavender cotton.

Ground dove (Zo["o]l.), one of several small American pigeons of the genus Columbigallina, esp. C. passerina of the Southern United States, Mexico, etc. They live chiefly on the ground.

Ground fish (Zo["o]l.), any fish which constantly lives on the botton of the sea, as the sole, turbot, halibut.

Ground floor, the floor of a house most nearly on a level with the ground; -- called also in America, but not in England, the first floor.

Ground form (Gram.), the stem or basis of a word, to which the other parts are added in declension or conjugation. It is sometimes, but not always, the same as the root.

Ground furze (Bot.), a low slightly thorny, leguminous shrub (Ononis arvensis) of Europe and Central Asia,; -- called also rest-harrow.

Ground game, hares, rabbits, etc., as distinguished from winged game.

Ground hele (Bot.), a perennial herb (Veronica officinalis) with small blue flowers, common in Europe and America, formerly thought to have curative properties.

Ground of the heavens (Astron.), the surface of any part of the celestial sphere upon which the stars may be regarded as projected.

Ground hemlock (Bot.), the yew (Taxus baccata var. Canadensisi) of eastern North America, distinguished from that of Europe by its low, straggling stems.

Ground hog. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The woodchuck or American marmot (Arctomys monax). See Woodchuck. (b) The aardvark.

Ground hold (Naut.), ground tackle. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Ground ice, ice formed at the bottom of a body of water before it forms on the surface.

Ground ivy. (Bot.) A trailing plant; alehoof. See Gill.

Ground joist, a joist for a basement or ground floor; a. sleeper.

Ground lark (Zo["o]l.), the European pipit. See Pipit.

Ground laurel (Bot.). See Trailing arbutus, under Arbutus.

Ground line (Descriptive Geom.), the line of intersection of the horizontal and vertical planes of projection.

Ground liverwort (Bot.), a flowerless plant with a broad flat forking thallus and the fruit raised on peduncled and radiated receptacles (Marchantia polymorpha).

Ground mail, in Scotland, the fee paid for interment in a churchyard.

Ground mass (Geol.), the fine-grained or glassy base of a rock, in which distinct crystals of its constituents are embedded.

Ground parrakeet (Zo["o]l.), one of several Australian parrakeets, of the genera Callipsittacus and Geopsittacus, which live mainly upon the ground.

Ground pearl (Zo["o]l.), an insect of the family Coccid[ae] (Margarodes formicarum), found in ants' nests in the Bahamas, and having a shelly covering. They are strung like beads, and made into necklaces by the natives.

Ground pig (Zo["o]l.), a large, burrowing, African rodent (Aulacodus Swinderianus) about two feet long, allied to the porcupines but with harsh, bristly hair, and no spines; -- called also ground rat.

Ground pigeon (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of pigeons which live largely upon the ground, as the tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), of the Samoan Islands, and the crowned pigeon, or goura. See Goura, and Ground dove (above).

Ground pine. (Bot.) (a) A blue-flowered herb of the genus Ajuga (A. Cham[ae]pitys), formerly included in the genus Teucrium or germander, and named from its resinous smell. --Sir J. Hill. (b) A long, creeping, evergreen plant of the genus Lycopodium (L. clavatum); -- called also club moss. (c) A tree-shaped evergreen plant about eight inches in height, of the same genus (L. dendroideum) found in moist, dark woods in the northern part of the United States. --Gray.

Ground plan (Arch.), a plan of the ground floor of any building, or of any floor, as distinguished from an elevation or perpendicular section.

Ground plane, the horizontal plane of projection in perspective drawing.

Ground plate. (a) (Arch.) One of the chief pieces of framing of a building; a timber laid horizontally on or near the ground to support the uprights; a ground sill or groundsel. (b) (Railroads) A bed plate for sleepers or ties; a mudsill. (c) (Teleg.) A metallic plate buried in the earth to conduct the electric current thereto. Connection to the pipes of a gas or water main is usual in cities. --Knight.

Ground plot, the ground upon which any structure is erected; hence, any basis or foundation; also, a ground plan.

Ground plum (Bot.), a leguminous plant (Astragalus caryocarpus) occurring from the Saskatchewan to Texas, and having a succulent plum-shaped pod.

Ground rat. (Zo["o]l.) See Ground pig (above).

Ground rent, rent paid for the privilege of building on another man's land.

Ground robin. (Zo["o]l.) See Chewink.

Ground room, a room on the ground floor; a lower room. --Tatler.

Ground sea, the West Indian name for a swell of the ocean, which occurs in calm weather and without obvious cause, breaking on the shore in heavy roaring billows; -- called also rollers, and in Jamaica, the North sea.

Ground sill. See Ground plate (a) (above).

Ground snake (Zo["o]l.), a small burrowing American snake (Celuta am[oe]na). It is salmon colored, and has a blunt tail.

Ground squirrel. (Zo["o]l.) (a) One of numerous species of burrowing rodents of the genera Tamias and Spermophilus, having cheek pouches. The former genus includes the Eastern striped squirrel or chipmunk and some allied Western species; the latter includes the prairie squirrel or striped gopher, the gray gopher, and many allied Western species. See Chipmunk, and Gopher. (b) Any species of the African genus Xerus, allied to Tamias.

Ground story. Same as Ground floor (above).

Ground substance (Anat.), the intercellular substance, or matrix, of tissues.

Ground swell. (a) (Bot.) The plant groundsel. [Obs.] --Holland. (b) A broad, deep swell or undulation of the ocean, caused by a long continued gale, and felt even at a remote distance after the gale has ceased.

Ground table. (Arch.) See Earth table, under Earth.

Ground tackle (Naut.), the tackle necessary to secure a vessel at anchor. --Totten.

Ground thrush (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of bright-colored Oriental birds of the family Pittid[ae]. See Pitta.

Ground tier. (a) The lowest tier of water casks in a vessel's hold. --Totten. (b) The lowest line of articles of any kind stowed in a vessel's hold. (c) The lowest range of boxes in a theater.

Ground timbers (Shipbuilding) the timbers which lie on the keel and are bolted to the keelson; floor timbers. --Knight.

Ground tit. (Zo["o]l.) See Ground wren (below).

Ground wheel, that wheel of a harvester, mowing machine, etc., which, rolling on the ground, drives the mechanism.

Ground wren (Zo["o]l.), a small California bird (Cham[ae]a fasciata) allied to the wrens and titmice. It inhabits the arid plains. Called also ground tit, and wren tit.

To bite the ground, To break ground. See under Bite, Break.

To come to the ground, To fall to the ground, to come to nothing; to fail; to miscarry.

To gain ground. (a) To advance; to proceed forward in conflict; as, an army in battle gains ground. (b) To obtain an advantage; to have some success; as, the army gains ground on the enemy. (c) To gain credit; to become more prosperous or influential.

To get, or To gather, ground, to gain ground. [R.] "Evening mist . . . gathers ground fast." --Milton.

There is no way for duty to prevail, and get ground of them, but by bidding higher. --South.

To give ground, to recede; to yield advantage.

These nine . . . began to give me ground. --Shak.

To lose ground, to retire; to retreat; to withdraw from the position taken; hence, to lose advantage; to lose credit or reputation; to decline.

To stand one's ground, to stand firm; to resist attack or encroachment. --Atterbury.

To take the ground to touch bottom or become stranded; -- said of a ship.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Ground

Ground\ (ground), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Grounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Grounding.]

1. To lay, set, or run, on the ground.

2. To found; to fix or set, as on a foundation, reason, or principle; to furnish a ground for; to fix firmly.

Being rooted and grounded in love. --Eph. iii. 17.

So far from warranting any inference to the existence of a God, would, on the contrary, ground even an argument to his negation. --Sir W. Hamilton

3. To instruct in elements or first principles.

4. (Elec.) To connect with the ground so as to make the earth a part of an electrical circuit.

5. (Fine Arts) To cover with a ground, as a copper plate for etching (see Ground, n., 5); or as paper or other materials with a uniform tint as a preparation for ornament.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Ground

Ground\, v. i. To run aground; to strike the bottom and remain fixed; as, the ship grounded on the bar.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Ground

Ground\, imp. & p. p. of Grind.

Ground cock, a cock, the plug of which is ground into its seat, as distinguished from a comp