Word: ground Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem-der. Proto-Germanic *grunduz Old English grund Middle English ground English ground From Middle English ground, from Old English grund, from Proto-West Germanic *grundu, from Proto-Germanic *grunduz. Cognate with West Frisian grûn, Dutch grond and German Grund. (to punish): Compare (to bring) down to earth, to come down to earth. Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊnd/, /ɡɹʊnd/ 1. The surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sky or water or underground. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Look, I found a ten dollar bill on the ground! Example: 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. 2. Terrain. Labels: uncountable Example: As the terrain-following radar scans the ground ahead of the aircraft the actual clearance height is measured by the radio altimeter. 3. Soil, earth. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The worm crawls through the ground. 4. The bottom of a body of water. Labels: countable 5. Basis, foundation, groundwork, legwork. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Wyth cry unreverent, Before the sacrament, Wythin the holy church bowndis, That of our fayth the grownd is. Example: [B]e the consequences what they may, they shall not move an inch, nor a hair's-breadth from the ground of their groundless spiritual independence, […] 6. Reason, (epistemic) justification, cause. Labels: countable, in-plural, uncountable Example: You will need to show good grounds for your action. Example: He could not come on grounds of health, or on health grounds. 7. Background, context, framework, surroundings. Labels: countable, uncountable 8. The area on which a battle is fought, particularly as referring to the area occupied by one side or the other. Often, according to the eventualities, "to give ground" or "to gain ground". Labels: countable, historical, uncountable 9. Advantage given or gained in any contest; e.g. in football, chess, debate or academic discourse. Labels: broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable 10. A place suited to a specified activity. Labels: countable, in-compounds, uncountable Example: a forest traditionally used as a hunting-ground Example: I gather from your last answer that at the present time the constabulary, to a certain extent, is good recruiting ground for the army? 11. The plain surface upon which the figures of an artistic composition are set. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: crimson flowers on a white ground Example: […] to pad a piece in diluted acetate of alumine to obtain a pale lemon ground […] 12. A flat surface upon which figures are raised in relief. Labels: countable, uncountable 13. The net of small meshes upon which the embroidered pattern is applied. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Brussels ground 14. 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. Labels: countable, uncountable 15. One of the pieces of wood, flush with the plastering, to which mouldings etc. are attached. Labels: countable, in-plural, uncountable Example: Grounds are usually put up first and the plastering floated flush with them. 16. A soccer stadium. Labels: UK, countable Example: Manchester United's ground is known as Old Trafford. 17. An electrical conductor connected to the earth, or a large conductor whose electrical potential is taken as zero (such as a steel chassis). Labels: countable, uncountable Example: А ground may be undesirable, inadvertent, or accidental path taken by an electrical current; or it may be the deliberate provision of conductors well connected to the ground by means of plates buried therein, or similar device. 18. Electric shock. Labels: Philippines, countable, uncountable 19. 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). Labels: countable 20. A composition in which the bass, consisting of a few bars of independent notes, is continually repeated to a varying melody. Labels: countable, uncountable 21. The tune on which descants are raised; the plain song. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Buck[ingham] The Mayor is here at hand; pretend ſome fear, // Be not you ſpoke with, but by mighty ſuit; // And look you get a prayer-book in your hand, // And ſtand between two churchmen, good my lord, // For on that ground I’ll build a holy deſcant: // And be not eaſily won to our requeſts: // Play the maid’s part, ſtill anſwer nay, and take it. 22. The pit of a theatre. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: the understanding gentlemen o' the ground here ask'd my judgment 23. Synonym of munny (“land measure”). Labels: India, countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: It is sub-divided into annas (or 16ths), of 3,600 square feet each; or when the land is for building purposes, into grounds (munnies) of 1/24 of a cawny each, as in the town of Madras.