ground 1 (ground)n.1. a. The solid surface of the earth.b. The floor of a body of water, especially the sea.2. Soil; earth: level the ground for a lawn.3. often grounds An area of land designated for a particular purpose: a burial ground; parade grounds.4. often grounds The land surrounding or forming part of a house or another building: 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. often grounds The foundation for an argument, belief, or action; a basis.9. often grounds The underlying condition prompting an action; a cause: 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. groundsa. The sediment at or from the bottom of a liquid: coffee grounds.b. Particles of ground coffee beans for use in making coffee for drinking.12. Electricity a. A large conducting body, such as the earth or an electric circuit connected to the earth, used as an arbitrary zero of potential.b. A conducting object, such as a wire, that is connected to such a position of zero potential.13. A mesh background upon which patterns are worked in lace-making.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.4. a. To prevent (an aircraft or a pilot) from flying.b. Informal To restrict (someone) especially to a certain place as a punishment.5. Electricity To connect (an electric circuit) to a ground.6. Nautical To run (a vessel) aground.7. a. Baseball To hit (a ball) onto the ground.b. 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: ground out Baseball To be put out by hitting a ground ball that is fielded and thrown to first base.Idioms: drive/run into the ground To belabor (an issue or a subject). 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. off the ground Under way, as if in flight: Because of legal difficulties, the construction project never got off the ground. 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. on the ground At a place that is exciting, interesting, or important: a reporter who wanted to be on the ground when the story broke. to ground1. Into a den or burrow: a fox going to ground.2. Into hiding.[Middle English, from Old English grund.]ground 2 (ground)v.Past tense and past participle of grind.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.ground (?ra?nd) n1. (Physical Geography) the land surface2. earth or soil: he dug into the ground outside his house. 3. (plural) the land around a dwelling house or other building4. (sometimes plural) an area of land given over to a purpose: football ground; burial grounds. 5. land having a particular characteristic: level ground; high ground. 6. matter for consideration or debate; field of research or inquiry: the lecture was familiar ground to him; the report covered a lot of ground. 7. a position or viewpoint, as in an argument or controversy (esp in the phrases give ground, hold, stand, or shift one’s ground)8. position or advantage, as in a subject or competition (esp in the phrases gain ground, lose ground, etc)9. (often plural) reason; justification: grounds for complaint. 10. (Art Terms) arts a. the prepared surface applied to the support of a painting, such as a wall, canvas, etc, to prevent it reacting with or absorbing the paintb. the support of a paintingc. the background of a painting or main surface against which the other parts of a work of art appear superimposed11. (Art Terms) a. the first coat of paint applied to a surfaceb. (as modifier): ground colour. 12. (Physical Geography) the bottom of a river or the sea13. (plural) sediment or dregs, esp from coffee14. (Building) chiefly Brit the floor of a room15. (Cricket) cricket a. the area from the popping crease back past the stumps, in which a batsman may legally standb. ground staff16. (Music, other) See ground bass17. (Textiles) a mesh or network supporting the main pattern of a piece of lace18. (General Physics) electrical a. a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potentialb. Also called: earth a terminal to which this connection is made19. above ground alive20. below ground dead and buried21. break new ground to do something that has not been done before22. cut the ground from under someone’s feet to anticipate someone’s action or argument and thus make it irrelevant or meaningless23. to the ground down to the ground informal Brit completely; absolutely: it suited him down to the ground. 24. get off the ground informal to make a beginning, esp one that is successful25. go to ground to go into hiding26. hit the ground running to make immediate and rapid progress: They have worked hard and hit the ground running. 27. into the ground beyond what is requisite or can be endured; to exhaustion28. meet someone on his own ground to meet someone according to terms he has laid down himself29. the high ground the moral high ground a position of moral or ethical superiority in a dispute30. (Nautical Terms) (of a ship) to strike the sea bed31. to arrive at something solid or stable after discussing or dealing with topics that are abstract or inconclusive32. (modifier) situated on, living on, or used on the ground: ground frost; ground forces. 33. (modifier) concerned with or operating on the ground, esp as distinct from in the air: ground crew; ground hostess. 34. (Botany) (modifier) (used in names of plants) low-growing and often trailing or spreadingvb35. (tr) to put or place on the ground36. (tr) to instruct in fundamentals37. (tr) to provide a basis or foundation for; establish38. (Aeronautics) (tr) to confine (an aircraft, pilot, etc) to the ground39. (tr) informal to confine (a child) to the house as a punishment40. (Electrical Engineering) the usual US word for earth1641. (Nautical Terms) (tr) nautical to run (a vessel) aground42. (Art Terms) (tr) to cover (a surface) with a preparatory coat of paint43. (intr) to hit or reach the ground[Old English grund; related to Old Norse grunn shallow, grunnr, grund plain, Old High German grunt]ground (?ra?nd) vb the past tense and past participle of grindadj1. (Mechanical Engineering) having the surface finished, thickness reduced, or an edge sharpened by grinding2. (Mechanical Engineering) reduced to fine particles by grindingCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014ground1 (gra?nd) n. 1. the solid surface of the earth; firm or dry land. 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: to go repeatedly over the same ground. 7. rational or factual support for one’s position or attitude, as in a debate or argument: on firm ground. 8. the main surface or background in painting, decorative work, lace, etc. 9. the background in a visual field, contrasted with the figure. 10. a coating of a substance serving as a surface to be worked on, as in painting or etching. 11. grounds, dregs or sediment: coffee grounds. 12. grounds, the gardens, lawn, etc., surrounding and belonging to a building. 13. a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body. 14. the bottom of a body of water. 15. the earth’s solid or liquid surface; land or water. 16. ground bass. adj. 17. situated on, at, or near the surface of the earth: a ground attack. 18. pertaining to the ground. 19. operating on land: ground forces. v.t. 20. to lay or set on the ground. 21. to place on a foundation; fix firmly; settle or establish; found. 22. to instruct in elements or first principles: to ground students in science. 23. to furnish with a ground or background, as on decorative work. 24. to cover (wallpaper) with colors or other materials before printing. 25. to establish a ground for (an electric circuit, device, etc.). 26. to cause (a vessel) to run aground. 27. to restrict (an aircraft or pilot) to the ground; prevent from flying. 28. Informal. to restrict the activities, esp. the social activities, of, usu. as a punishment. v.i. 29. to come to or strike the ground. 30. to hit a ground ball in baseball. 31. ground out, Baseball. to be put out at first base after hitting a ground ball to the infield. Idioms: 1. break ground, a. to plow. b. to begin excavation for a construction project. c. Also, break new ground. to do something original or innovative. 2. cover ground, a. to travel over a certain area. b. to make some progress. 3. from the ground up, a. gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level. b. extensively; thoroughly. 4. gain ground, a. to make progress; advance. b. to gain approval or acceptance. 5. give ground, to yield to a superior force or forceful argument; retreat. 6. hold or stand one’s ground, to maintain one’s position; be steadfast. 7. lose ground, to lose one’s advantage; fail to advance. 8. off the ground, into action or well under way: The play never got off the ground. 9. on one’s own ground, in an area or situation that one knows well. 10. on the ground, at the place of interest or importance: the situation on the ground. 11. shift ground, to change position in an argument or situation. 12. to ground, a. into a den, burrow, shelter, or the like: a fox gone to ground. b. into concealment or hiding. Idioms: take the high ground, to take a position of advantage or superiority. [before 900; Middle English; Old English grund, c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon grund, Old High German grunt] ground2 (gra?nd) v. 1. a pt. and pp. of grind. adj. 2. reduced to fine particles by grinding. 3. having the surface abraded or roughened by or as if by grinding. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.ground (ground)1. The solid surface of the Earth; land.2. A connection between an electrical conductor and the Earth.3. A point in an electrical system where the voltage is zero.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.floor – ground1. ‘floor’The floor of a room is the flat part you walk on.A floor of a building is all the rooms on a particular level.You say that something is on a particular floor.Be Careful!Don’t say that something is ‘in’ a particular floor.You don’t normally refer to the surface of the earth as the ‘floor’. You call it the ground.However, the surface of the earth in a forest is sometimes referred to as the forest floor, and the land under the sea is sometimes called the sea floor or the ocean floor.