ground

1 of 4

noun

plural grounds
1
a
: the surface of a planet (such as the earth or Mars)
especially : the surface of the earth or a particular part of it sometimes as contrasted with the air or sea
She sat down on the ground.
a patch of uneven ground
One person was flown by helicopter and another transported by groundLarry Delkinski
often used before another noun
the cost of ground transportation
the airport's ground crew
sent in ground troops
the country's ground forces
fighting a ground war
b
: an area used for a particular purpose
a grassy picnic ground
fishing grounds
c
grounds plural : the area around and belonging to a house or other building
We toured the grounds of the estate.
d
: an area of knowledge or special interest
He covered a lot of ground in his lecture.
e
: an area to be won or defended in or as if in battle see also proving ground
2
a
: soil, earth
… the nutrient-rich soil that lies deep in the ground.Ariela Bard
b
obsolete : a special soil
3
a
: the bottom of a body of water
The boat struck ground.
b grounds plural
(1)
: ground coffee beans after brewing
4
a
: a basis for belief, action, or argument
ground for complaint
often used in plural
sufficient grounds for divorce
see also common ground, middle ground, high ground
b(1)
: a fundamental logical condition
(2)
: a basic metaphysical (see metaphysical sense 2) cause
5
a
: an object (such as one made of a wire or metal) that makes an electrical connection with the earth
b
: a large conducting body (such as the earth) used as a common return for an electric circuit and as an arbitrary zero of potential
c
: electric connection with a ground
6
a
: a surrounding area : background
wallpaper with black diamonds on a white ground
b
: material that serves as a substratum
7
: a football offense utilizing primarily running plays

ground

2 of 4

verb

grounded; grounding; grounds

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide a reason or justification for
our fears about technological change may be well groundedL. K. Williams
b
: to furnish with a foundation of knowledge : base
an understanding … that is grounded in factMichael Kimmelman
2
a
: to cause to run aground
b
: to bring to or place on the ground
3
a
: to restrict to the ground
ground a pilot
b
: to prohibit from taking part in some usual activities
grounded her for a week
4
: to connect electrically with a ground
5
: to throw (a football) intentionally to the ground to avoid being tackled for a loss

intransitive verb

1
: to run aground
The ship grounded on a mud bank.
2
: to hit a grounder
grounded back to the pitcher
3
: to have a ground or basis : rely

ground

3 of 4

adjective

: reduced to small pieces or a powder by a grinding process
ground beef
ground coffee beans

ground

4 of 4

past tense and past participle of grind

Phrases
from the ground up
1
: entirely new or afresh
The car has been redesigned from the ground up.
2
: from the very beginning : thoroughly
built the resort from the ground up
into the ground
: beyond what is necessary or tolerable : to exhaustion
labored an issue into the groundNewsweek
off the ground
: in or as if in flight : off to a good start
the program never got off the ground
on the ground
: at the scene of action
to ground
1
: into a burrow
the fox went to ground
2
: into hiding
… might need to make a run for it and go to ground someplace …Edward Hoagland

Examples of ground in a Sentence

Noun An apple fell to the ground. Mechanical problems kept the plane on the ground. They were lying on the ground. The flight was watched by many observers on the ground. planting seeds in the ground She drove a spike into the ground. They built their house on bare ground. We realized that we were on hallowed ground. They built their house on high ground. Each fall the birds return to their wintering grounds. Verb They grounded the ship on a sandbar. The plane was grounded by mechanical problems. Bad weather grounded his flight. a pilot grounded by health problems
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The court in September rejected that petition on procedural grounds, but the broader case is still underway. Tony Romm, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 After earlier approving Tagami’s ground lease at the terminal site, Oakland officials attempted to ban the shipment and storage of coal in 2016, leading to a series of costly lawsuits in which the developer has largely emerged victorious. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 These are airport servicing vehicles which empty the tank and take the contents to be processed on airport grounds. Julia Buckley, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Though the $310-million stadium was built on higher ground than its predecessor on the Mission Valley site, the field flunked Wednesday’s test — in what was the wettest challenge yet for a prominent sports event in the 19-month-old venue. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 The American Civil Liberties Union and some digital rights groups have opposed a TikTok ban on free speech grounds and argued the latest House bill would violate the rights of Americans who rely on the app for information, advocacy and entertainment. Haleluya Hadero, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 More:New meat processing facility from local restaurant breaks ground at Eastern Market The menu Union Joints district chef Zach Kuhagen and Steve Carlton, its chef de cuisine, lead the kitchen. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024 The company responded this week, arguing that the case should be thrown out on procedural grounds, including bringing the claims too late, but didn’t deny Hall’s accusations. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 The region's rapid adoption of AI technologies is propelled by the digital revolution, fostering a fertile ground for businesses to innovate and thrive. Aleks Farseev, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
The blowout was linked to loose bolts and led the FAA to ground all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes with a door plug. Niha Masih, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Here, jokes about the city’s storied landmarks and its bureaucratic bottlenecks help ground some of the sitcom’s headier themes. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 Stone shares the screen with the likes of Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Cicely Tyson, Jessica Chastain, and more while grounding the narrative as a journalist attempting to publish a book about the hardship of her town’s Black housekeepers. Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Bob and Lily’s connection might be idealized, but Laymon still takes care to ground them in moments that feel authentic, performed by actors who seem incapable of striking a false note. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 That memory still grounds Kimmel, who remains self-effacing even as he’s become the go-to host for Hollywood’s biggest night. Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 If the flimsiness of it all came from a teenager, they would be grounded for a month. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 The Philippines says the development of Mischief Reef, close to Second Thomas Shoal, was what originally prompted them to ground the Sierra Madre. Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Gauff also credits her grandma with keeping her grounded. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Ingredients 1 cup tap water 6 large eggs Optional garnishes: flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chopped fresh chives Directions Steam eggs in Instant Pot: Pour tap water into a programmable pressure multicooker (such as Instant Pot). Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Dijon mustard ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 bunch celery, stalks sliced into ½-in. Saveur Editors, Saveur, 22 Feb. 2024 Made from a nourishing, ground sugar mixture of prickly pear cactus and lightly fragranced with the refreshing scent of tangerine oil, this scrub was a delight to our weathered skin. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 The company’s signature bitter drinking chocolate, a rich and dense concoction served in an espresso-size cup, is made with freshly ground cacao nibs, lightly sweetened and finished with oat milk. Caitie Kelly Gisela Williams Julekha Dash Catherine Hong Devorah Lev-Tov, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 The water must be heated to 92° to 95°C (197° to 203°F) and forced (at a specific pressure) through a bed of 7 to 9 grams (about a quarter of an ounce) of finely ground coffee for 20 to 30 seconds. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2023 Salt 12 ounces dried spaghetti 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (salted or unsalted) 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving 1 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Domenica Marchetti, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ 1/2 cup raw cashews 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast 1/2 probiotic capsule Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Soak cashews overnight in 2 cups of water. Nina Lincoff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Add salmon and pulse until roughly chopped (be sure the fish isn’t too finely ground). Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ground.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English grund; akin to Old High German grunt ground

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2b

Adjective

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ground was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ground

Cite this Entry

“Ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ground

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: the bottom of a body of water
the boat struck ground
b
2
: basis, foundation
grounds for divorce
3
: a surrounding area : background
a picture on a gray ground
4
a
: the surface of the earth
b
: an area used for a particular purpose
the parade ground
fishing grounds
c
plural : the area around and belonging to a building
5
6
: an area to be won or defended in or as if in battle
gaining ground on the other runners
7
a
: an object that makes an electrical connection with the earth
b
: a large conducting body (as the earth) used as a common return for an electric circuit

ground

2 of 3 verb
1
: to bring to or place on the ground
2
a
: to provide a reason for
b
: to instruct in fundamentals
well grounded in mathematics
3
: to connect electrically with a ground
4
a
: to restrict to the ground
ground a pilot
b
: to prohibit from taking part in some usual activities
grounded her for a week
5
: to run aground
the ship grounded on a reef
6
: to hit a ground ball
grounded to the shortstop

ground

3 of 3

past and past participle of grind

Medical Definition

ground

past and past part of grind

Legal Definition

ground

1 of 2 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
sued the city on the ground that the city…had wrongfully released…recordsCity of Lawton v. Moore, 868 P.2d 690 (1993)
listed adultery and alcoholism as the grounds for divorce
2
: a piece or parcel of land
the design being to create high ground for use during overflow periodsBright v. Perkins, 239 S.W.2d 281 (1951)
a sudden disruption of a piece of ground from one man's landPorter v. Arkansas Western Gas Co., 482 S.W.2d 598 (1972)
groundless adjective
groundlessly adverb
groundlessness noun

ground

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to furnish a ground for : set on a basis
that court grounded the disclosure requirement in negligence lawScott v. Bradford, 606 P.2d 554 (1979)
an argument grounded on falsehoods

More from Merriam-Webster on ground

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