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 ground … —
Larry Delkinski
—often used before another noun Larry Delkinski 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
3
a
: the bottom of a body of water
The boat struck ground.
b
grounds plural
(1)
: ground coffee beans after brewing
(2)
4
a
: a basis for belief, action, or argument
ground for complaint
—often used in pluralsufficient 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
grounded; grounding; grounds
1
a
: to provide a reason or justification for
our fears about technological change may be well grounded—L. K. Williams
L. K. Williams
b
: to furnish with a foundation of knowledge : base
an understanding … that is grounded in fact—Michael Kimmelman
Michael Kimmelman2
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
: reduced to small pieces or a powder by a grinding process
ground beef
ground coffee beans
ground
4 of 4past 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
: beyond what is necessary or tolerable : to exhaustion
labored an issue into the ground—Newsweek
Newsweek
: in or as if in flight : off to a good start
the program never got off the ground
: at the scene of action
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
Edward HoaglandSynonyms
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 WebBrianne Tracy, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
That on-campus tension reached new highs in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, as many students have protested the United States’ support for Israel’s retribution bombing and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet days after the invasion began, Moscow began probing to find grounds for a compromise.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
With swaps like ground turkey and cottage cheese, this tasty dish is still perfectly cheesy and rich.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
One Israeli official said Israel remains determined to carry out a ground offensive in Rafah, although the timing of civilian evacuations and the coming ground offensive remains unclear at the moment.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Nearby public beaches and fishing grounds are often closed during the launches.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
After all, for the Gen-Zers on the festival grounds, No Doubt is probably the band that their parents grew up on.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 14 Apr. 2024
Austin told Israeli defense minister Mosheh Gains Yael Factor
Mosheh Gains and Yael Factor
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed outrage over the World Central Kitchen strike in a call with his Israeli counterpart today and reiterated his concerns over a pending ground invasion of Rafah.
—NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 17 Apr. 2024
The county successfully filed a restraining order to ground the flights.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
The carrier on Tuesday reported a $200 million impact after being forced to ground its Boeing 737-9 Max fleet for three weeks in the wake of a door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet in January.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The company anonymously monitors all customer usage and is prepared to ground customers who damage the aircraft or get edgy with battery capacity.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
While Alaska Airlines' fleet of 737-9s was grounded following the incident, the FAA cleared them to return for service later that same month.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Leanbean is effective, scientifically grounded, and incredibly popular.
—Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The Marlins have created some chances this season, but have grounded into a MLB-leading 11 double plays including one on Wednesday.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
From snack crumbs ground into car seat crevices to wrappers strewn about the floor, your family car could likely use some TLC.
—Amy Gordon, Parents, 3 Apr. 2024
Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024
Cornstarch This fine powdery starch is made from finely ground corn kernels and is used primarily as a thickening agent.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 teaspoon finely diced shallot
1 ripe (but not squishy) avocado
1.
—Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Answer: The majority of native bees are solitary and ground nesting.
—Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024
Freshly ground hardwood bark frequently forms a water-shedding mat in the dry summer.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Mar. 2024
How to enjoy the trend: Have some matcha, a type of powdered green tea that is made from finely ground tea leaves.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Made from crustless, coarsely ground white bread, fluffy panko breadcrumbs are key to the crispy exterior.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
The flavor loses some of its body when using finely ground coffee.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 4 Jan. 2024
Noun
While headliners Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat generated much buzz with their headlining sets, there was even more excitement beyond the festival grounds.
—Brianne Tracy, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
That on-campus tension reached new highs in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, as many students have protested the United States’ support for Israel’s retribution bombing and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip.
—Ben Brasch, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet days after the invasion began, Moscow began probing to find grounds for a compromise.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
With swaps like ground turkey and cottage cheese, this tasty dish is still perfectly cheesy and rich.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
One Israeli official said Israel remains determined to carry out a ground offensive in Rafah, although the timing of civilian evacuations and the coming ground offensive remains unclear at the moment.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Nearby public beaches and fishing grounds are often closed during the launches.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
After all, for the Gen-Zers on the festival grounds, No Doubt is probably the band that their parents grew up on.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 14 Apr. 2024
Austin told Israeli defense minister Mosheh Gains Yael Factor
Mosheh Gains and Yael Factor
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed outrage over the World Central Kitchen strike in a call with his Israeli counterpart today and reiterated his concerns over a pending ground invasion of Rafah.
—NBC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
Jack Wagner followed with an RBI single to make it 7-1 before Hudson White grounded into a double play.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 17 Apr. 2024
The county successfully filed a restraining order to ground the flights.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
The carrier on Tuesday reported a $200 million impact after being forced to ground its Boeing 737-9 Max fleet for three weeks in the wake of a door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet in January.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The company anonymously monitors all customer usage and is prepared to ground customers who damage the aircraft or get edgy with battery capacity.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
While Alaska Airlines' fleet of 737-9s was grounded following the incident, the FAA cleared them to return for service later that same month.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Leanbean is effective, scientifically grounded, and incredibly popular.
—Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The Marlins have created some chances this season, but have grounded into a MLB-leading 11 double plays including one on Wednesday.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
From snack crumbs ground into car seat crevices to wrappers strewn about the floor, your family car could likely use some TLC.
—Amy Gordon, Parents, 3 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Typically, ground time only lasts about five to ten minutes and movement ranges from stationary to 60+ miles per hour, according to the NWS.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 3 Apr. 2024
Cornstarch This fine powdery starch is made from finely ground corn kernels and is used primarily as a thickening agent.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2024
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 teaspoon finely diced shallot
1 ripe (but not squishy) avocado
1.
—Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
Answer: The majority of native bees are solitary and ground nesting.
—Melinda Myers, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024
Freshly ground hardwood bark frequently forms a water-shedding mat in the dry summer.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 8 Mar. 2024
How to enjoy the trend: Have some matcha, a type of powdered green tea that is made from finely ground tea leaves.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Made from crustless, coarsely ground white bread, fluffy panko breadcrumbs are key to the crispy exterior.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
The flavor loses some of its body when using finely ground coffee.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 4 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.
Articles Related to ground
Dictionary Entries Near ground
Cite this Entry
“Ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ground
1 of 3 noun1
a
: the bottom of a body of water
the boat struck ground
b
plural
: sediment sense 1, lees
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
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 verb1
: 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 3past and past participle of grind
Legal Definition
ground
1 of 2 noun1
: 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…records—City of Lawton v. Moore, 868 P.2d 690 (1993)
City 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 periods—Bright v. Perkins, 239 S.W.2d 281 (1951)
Bright v. Perkins, 239 S.W.2d 281 (1951)a sudden disruption of a piece of ground from one man's land—Porter v. Arkansas Western Gas Co., 482 S.W.2d 598 (1972)
Porter 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 law—Scott v. Bradford, 606 P.2d 554 (1979)
Scott v. Bradford, 606 P.2d 554 (1979)an argument grounded on falsehoods
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