Ground

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɡɹaÊŠnd/
• Rhymes: -aÊŠnd

From Old English grund, from Proto-Germanic *grunduz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰr̥mtu-. Cognate with West Frisian grûn, Dutch grond and German Grund. Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian grundë ("brittle earth") and gryej ("to erode, crumble").

Alternative forms

• GND contraction used in electronics

Full definition of ground

Noun

1. (surface of the Earth)(uncountable) The surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sky or water or underground.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 23, If the afternoon was fine they strolled together in the park, very slowly, and with pauses to draw breath wherever the ground sloped upward. The slightest effort made the patient cough.
• 2013-06-08, The new masters and commanders, From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts.
2. (uncountable) Terrain.
3. (uncountable) Soil, earth.
   The worm crawls through the ground.
4. (countable) The bottom of a body of water.
5. Basis, foundation, groundwork, legwork.
6. Background, context, framework, surroundings.
• 1922, Michael Arlen, “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days Chapter 1/1/2, House Prees and Bloods ... were everywhere to be seen in earnest colloquy. For the matter was, that there was some sort of night-prowler about the school grounds.
7. The plain surface upon which the figures of an artistic composition are set.crimson flowers on a white ground
8. In sculpture, a flat surface upon which figures are raised in relief.
9. In point lace, the net of small meshes upon which the embroidered pattern is applied.Brussels ground
10. In etching, a gummy substance 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.
11. (architecture, mostly, in the plural) One of the pieces of wood, flush with the plastering, to which mouldings etc. are attached.Grounds are usually put up first and the plastering floated flush with them.
12. (countable) A soccer stadium.
    Manchester United's ground is known as Old Trafford.
13. (electricity, Canadian and US) An electrical conductor connected to the ground.
14. (electricity, Canadian and US) A level of electrical potential used as a zero reference.
15. (countable, cricket) The area of grass on which a match is played (a cricket field); the entire arena in which it is played; the part of the field behind a batsman's popping crease where he can not be run out (hence to make one's ground).
16. (music) A composition in which the bass, consisting of a few bars of independent notes, is continually repeated to a varying melody.
17. (music) The tune on which descants are raised; the plain song.
• 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III (play), act III, scene vii, in: The Works of ShakeÅ¿pear V (1726), page 149:Buck[Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham]   The Mayor is here at hand; pretend Å¿ome fear, // Be not you Å¿poke with, but by mighty Å¿uit; // And look you get a prayer-book in your hand, // And Å¿tand between two churchmen, good my lord, // For on that ground I’ll build a holy deÅ¿cant: // And be not eaÅ¿ily won to our requeÅ¿ts: // Play the maid’s part, Å¿till anÅ¿wer nay, and take it.
18. The pit of a theatre.

Synonyms

• electricity earth British

Derived terms

Verb

1. To connect (an electrical conductor or device) to a ground.
2. (transitive) To punish, especially a child or teenager, by forcing him/her to stay at home and/or give up certain privileges.If you don't clean your room, I'll be forced to ground you.Carla, you are grounded until further notice for lying to us about where you were yesterday.My kids are currently grounded from television.
3. (transitive) To forbid (an aircraft or pilot) to fly.Because of the bad weather, all flights were grounded.
4. To give a basic education in a particular subject; to instruct in elements or first principles.Jim was grounded in maths.
5. (baseball) to hit a ground ball; to hit a ground ball which results in an out. Compare fly (verb(regular)) and line (verb).Jones grounded to second in his last at-bat.
6. (cricket) (of a batsman) to place his bat, or part of his body, on the ground behind the popping crease so as not to be run out
7. (intransitive) To run aground; to strike the bottom and remain fixed.The ship grounded on the bar.
8. To found; to fix or set, as on a foundation, reason, or principle; to furnish a ground for; to fix firmly.
• Bible, Ephesians iii. 17being rooted and grounded in love
• Sir W. HamiltonSo far from warranting any inference to the existence of a God, would, on the contrary, ground even an argument to his negation.
9. (fine arts) To cover with a ground, as a copper plate for etching, or as paper or other materials with a uniform tint as a preparation for ornament.

• Inflected form of grind See also milled.

Verb

1. ground

   (past of grind)
   I ground the coffee up nicely.

Adjective

1. Crushed, or reduced to small particles.ground mustard seed
2. Processed by grinding.lenses of ground glass

Synonyms

• milled

Derived terms

• ground beef
• ground pepper
• stone-ground