WordWeb Online

1. The solid part of the earth's surface
   "he dropped the logs on the ground"; "the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over solid ground";
   - land, dry land, earth, solid ground, terra firma
    
2. Reason or cause
   "the grounds for their declaration";
   - reason, occasion
    
3. The loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface
   "they dug into the ground outside the church";
   - earth
    
4. A relation that provides the foundation for something
   - footing, basis
    
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 ground of rolling hills";
   - background, backdrop
    
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 ground had never been ploughed";
   - land, soil
    
8. A relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused
    
9. (electricity) a connection between an electrical device and a large conducting body, such as the earth (which is taken to be at zero voltage)
   - earth [Brit]
    
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
    - flat coat, primer, priming, primer coat, priming coat, undercoat

1. Fix firmly and stably
   "ground the lamppost in concrete";
   - 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";
   - strand, run aground
    
6. Hit or reach the ground
   - run aground
    
7. (football) throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage
    
8. (baseball) a hit that travels along the playing field.
   "he grounded to the second baseman"
    
9. Cover with a primer; apply a primer to
   - prime, undercoat
    
10. Connect to a ground
    "ground the electrical connections for safety reasons"
     
11. Use as a basis for; found on
    - establish, base, found

1. Reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading
   "grind the spices in a mortar";
   - mash, crunch, bray [archaic], comminute [rare]
    
2. Press or grind with a crushing noise
   - crunch, cranch, craunch, scrunch
    
3. Make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together
   "grind one's teeth in anger";
   - grate
    
4. Create by grinding
   "grind designs into the glass bowl"
    
5. Shape or form by grinding
   "grind lenses for glasses and cameras"
    
6. [informal] Work hard
   "Lexicographers grind all day long";
   - labor [US], labour [Brit, Cdn], toil, fag [informal], travail [literary], drudge, dig [US, informal], moil [N. Amer]
    
7. [informal] Dance by rotating the pelvis in an erotically suggestive way, often while in contact with one's partner such that the dancers' legs are interlaced

Derived forms: grounding, grounds, grounded

Type of: arrive at, article, aspect, attain, break up, coat of paint, confine, connect, connecter, connection, connective, connector, connexion [Brit], constrain, create, dance, do work, fasten, fix, forge, form, foundation, fragment, fragmentise [Brit], fragmentize, gain, hit, hold, instruct, land, lay, learn, link, link up, make, material, military position, mold [N. Amer], mould [Brit, Cdn], object, paint, panorama, percept, perception, perceptual experience, physical object, place, pose, position, press, prospect, put, rational motive, reach, restrain, scene, secure, set, shape, stuff, surface, teach, throw, tie, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe, view, vista, wing, work

Antonym: figure

Part of: Earth, globe, world

Encyclopedia: Ground, Richard