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firm ground


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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
ground1 /graʊnd/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. [uncountable* the + ~] the solid surface of the earth;
    firm or dry land.
  2. soil:[uncountable]poor ground for growing crops.
  3. land having an indicated shape, quality, or character:[uncountable]sloping ground.
  4. Often, grounds. [plural] an area of land put to a special use:[countable]picnic grounds; hunting grounds.
  5. Often, grounds. [plural] reason or cause;
    the foundation or basis on which a belief or action rests:[countable]grounds for divorce.
  6. subject for or focus of discussion;
    topic:[uncountable]We covered that ground in the last meeting.
  7. [uncountable] the main surface or background, as in a painting.
  8. grounds, [plural] leftover material, as from coffee that has been brewed:coffee grounds.
  9. grounds, [plural] the gardens, lawn, etc., surrounding and belonging to a building.
  10. Electricity[uncountable] a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.

adj. [before a noun]
  1. operating on land:ground forces; a ground attack.

v. 
  1. to place (an idea, belief, or argument) on a firm or logical foundation:[~ + object]an argument firmly grounded in logic.
  2. to instruct (someone) in basic principles:[~ + object]to ground students in science.
  3. Electricity to establish a ground (def. 10) for (an electric circuit, device, etc.):[~ + object]This appliance isn't grounded.
  4. Naval Termsto (cause a vessel to) run aground: [no object]The ship grounded on the sand bar.[~ + object]They accidentally grounded the boat on a sand bar.
  5. Aeronautics to restrict (an aircraft or pilot) to the ground;
    prevent from flying:[~ + object]If the pilot used drugs, he was grounded.
  6. Informal Terms to restrict the activities, esp. the social activities, of usually as a punishment:[~ + object]His parents grounded him for hitting another student.
Idioms
  1. Idioms break ground:
    • to plow.
    • to begin excavation for a construction project.
    • Also, break new ground. to do something original or innovative.
  2. Idioms cover (new) ground:
    • to travel over a certain area:We covered a lot of ground in the car.
    • to deal with new material:didn't cover any new ground in yesterday's class.
  3. Idioms cut the ground (out) from under, [~ + object] to make (someone or something) less effective or useful by some action taken ahead of time.
  4. Idioms from the ground up:
    • gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level.
    • extensively;
      thoroughly;
      completely:knew his subject from the ground up.
  5. Idioms gain ground, to make progress;
    advance.
  6. Idioms give ground, to retreat before a stronger force:The weaker army began to give ground.
  7. Idioms hold or stand one's ground, to maintain one's position.
  8. Idioms into the ground, beyond a reasonable or necessary point:to run an argument into the ground.
  9. Idioms lose ground, to lose one's advantage;
    fail to advance.
  10. off the ground, into action or well under way:The plan never got off the ground.
  11. Idioms on one's own ground, in an area or situation that one knows well.
  12. Idioms shift ground, to change position in an argument or situation.


ground2 /graʊnd/USA pronunciation   v. 
  1. a pt. and pp. of grind.

adj. 
  1. reduced to fine particles or very small pieces by grinding:ground beef.
  2. having the surface roughened by or as if by grinding:ground glass.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
grind /graɪnd/USA pronunciation   v., ground/graʊnd/USA pronunciation  grind•ing, n. 
v. 
  1. to wear down, make smooth, or sharpen (something) by rubbing or friction:[~ + object]to grind a lens; to grind knives.
  2. to crush (something) into small particles, as by pounding;
    pulverize: [~ + object]She accidentally ground the dirt into the rug.[~ + up + object]The glass bottles were ground up for recycling.
  3. to oppress, torment, or crush:[~ + down + object]They were ground down by poverty.
  4. to grate together;
    grit:[~ + object]She used to grind her teeth.
  5. to operate by turning a crank:[~ + object]to grind a hand organ.
  6. to produce by crushing or hard rubbing:[~ + object]The mill grinds flour.
  7. to (cause to) rub harshly;
    grate: [no object]The gears ground whenever I shifted.[~ + object]I kept grinding the gears.
  8. Informal Terms[~ + away] to work or study hard or for long hours.
  9. Slang Terms[no object] (in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner. Compare bump (def. 9).
  10. grind out:
    • to produce in a routine or mechanical way: [~ + out + object]ground out another issue of the newspaper.[~ + object + out]Would they grind another issue out in time?
    • to extinguish (a cigarette or cigar) against a surface: [~ + out + object]He ground out his cigarette.[~ + object + out]He ground his cigarette out.

n. [countable]
  1. a grade of fineness into which a substance is ground into particles:That coffee is available in various grinds.
  2. laborious, usually uninteresting work:[usually singular]the daily grind.
  3. Informal Termsa student who works and studies hard.
  4. Slang Termsa dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive manner. Compare bump (def. 16).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
ground1  (ground),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. the solid surface of the earth;
    firm or dry land:to fall to the ground.
  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:Sex education is forbidden ground in some school curricula.
  7. rational or factual support for one's position or attitude, as in a debate or argument:on firm ground; on shaky ground.
  8. the main surface or background in painting, decorative work, lace, etc.
  9. Fine Art
    • a coating of some substance serving as a surface for paint, ink, or other media in art:Lead white is a traditional ground for oil paintings.
    • See ground color (def. 2).
  10. Psychiatry(in perception) the background in a visual field, contrasted with the figure.
  11. Also called etching ground. an acid-resistant substance, composed of wax, gum, and resin in varying proportions, applied to the entire surface of an etching plate and through which the design is drawn with an etching needle.
  12. grounds, dregs or sediment:coffee grounds.
  13. grounds, the gardens, lawn, etc., surrounding and belonging to a building.
  14. [Elect.]a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.
  15. Music and DanceSee ground bass. 
  16. Naval Terms[Naut.]the bottom of a body of water.
  17. the earth's solid or liquid surface;
    land or water.
  18. [Carpentry.]
    • a strip of wood to which woodwork can be attached, set flush with the plaster finish of a room.
    • a strip of wood or length of corner bead used at an opening as a stop for plasterwork.
  19. Idioms break ground:
    • to plow.
    • to begin excavation for a construction project.
    • to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
  20. Idioms cover ground:
    • to pass or travel over a certain area.
    • to make a certain amount of progress in dealing with a piece of work, subject, treatise, or the like:He talked for two hours without covering much ground.
  21. Idioms cut the ground from under, to render (an argument, position, person, etc.) ineffective or invalid;
    refute:It didn't require much effort to cut the ground from under that case.
  22. Idioms from the ground up:
    • gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level:She learned the business from the ground up.
    • extensively;
      thoroughly:The professor knew his subject from the ground up.
  23. Idioms gain ground:
    • to make progress;
      advance.
    • Idiomsto gain approval or acceptance:The case for air-pollution control is gaining ground throughout the country.
  24. Idioms give ground, to yield to force or forceful argument;
    retreat:The disarmament talks reached an impasse when neither side would give ground on inspection proposals.
  25. Idioms hold or stand one's ground, to maintain one's position;
    be steadfast:The referee stood his ground, though his decision was hotly contested by the crowd.
  26. Idioms into the ground, beyond a reasonable or necessary point:You've stated your case, and you needn't run it into the ground.
  27. Idioms lose ground:
    • to retreat or be forced back.
    • to lose one's advantage;
      suffer a reverse.
    • to wane in popularity or acceptance;
      begin to fail:Our candidate is losing ground in industrial areas.
  28. off the ground, [Informal.]into action or well under way:The play never got off the ground.
  29. Idioms on one's own ground, in an area or situation that one knows well.
  30. Idioms on the ground, at the place of interest or importance;
    actively engaged:Minutes after the bank robbery reporters were on the ground to get the story.
  31. Idioms shift ground, to change position in an argument or situation.
  32. Idioms suit down to the ground, to be perfectly satisfactory;
    please greatly:This climate suits me down to the ground.
  33. take the ground, [Naut.]to become grounded at low water.
  34. Idioms to ground:
    • into a den, burrow, shelter, or the like:a fox gone to ground.
    • into concealment or hiding:Rather than take the witness stand, she went to ground in another country.

adj. 
  1. situated on or at, or adjacent to, the surface of the earth:a ground attack.
  2. pertaining to the ground.
  3. Militaryoperating on land:ground forces.

v.t. 
  1. to lay or set on the ground.
  2. to place on a foundation;
    fix firmly;
    settle or establish;
    found.
  3. to instruct in elements or first principles:to ground students in science.
  4. to furnish with a ground or background, as on decorative work.
  5. to cover (wallpaper) with colors or other materials before printing.
  6. [Elect.]to establish a ground for (a circuit, device, etc.).
  7. Naval Terms[Naut.]to cause (a vessel) to run aground.
  8. [Aeron.]to restrict (an aircraft or the like) to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc.
  9. to forbid (a pilot) to fly because of bad health, failure to comply with safety regulations, or the like.
  10. Informal Termsto put out of action or make unable to participate:The quarterback was grounded by a knee injury.
  11. Informal Termsto restrict the activities, esp. the social activities, of:I can't go to the party—my parents have grounded me until my grades improve.

v.i. 
  1. to come to or strike the ground.
  2. Sport[Baseball.]
    • to hit a ground ball.
    • to ground out.
  3. ground out, [Baseball.]to be put out at first base after hitting a ground ball to the infield.
  • bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English grownd, grund, Old English grund; cognate with Dutch grond, German Grund; (verb, verbal) Middle English grundien, grownden to set on a foundation, establish, derivative of the noun, nominal
ground′a•ble, adj. 
ground′a•bly, adv. 
ground′ed•ly, adv. 
ground′ed•ness, n. 
ground′ward, ground′wards, adv., adj. 

ground2  (ground),USA pronunciation v. 
  1. a pt. and pp. of grind. 

adj. 
  1. reduced to fine particles or dust by grinding.
  2. Food(of meat, vegetables, etc.) reduced to very small pieces by putting through a food processor or grinder:ground beef.
  3. having the surface abraded or roughened by or as if by grinding, as in order to reduce its transparency:ground glass.
  • see ground1 1755–65 for def. 2

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
grind  (grīnd),USA pronunciation v., ground or (Rare) grind•ed;
grind•ing;
 n. 
v.t. 
  1. to wear, smooth, or sharpen by abrasion or friction;
    whet:to grind a lens.
  2. to reduce to fine particles, as by pounding or crushing;
    bray, triturate, or pulverize.
  3. to oppress, torment, or crush:to grind the poor.
  4. to rub harshly or gratingly;
    grate together;
    grit:to grind one's teeth.
  5. to operate by turning a crank:to grind a hand organ.
  6. to produce by crushing or abrasion:to grind flour.
  7. Slang Termsto annoy;
    irritate;
    irk:It really grinds me when he's late.

v.i. 
  1. to perform the operation of reducing to fine particles.
  2. to rub harshly;
    grate.
  3. to be or become ground.
  4. to be polished or sharpened by friction.
  5. Informal Termsto work or study laboriously (often fol. by away):He was grinding away at his algebra.
  6. Slang Terms(in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner. Cf. bump (def. 11).
  7. grind out:
    • to produce in a routine or mechanical way:to grind out magazine stories.
    • to extinguish by rubbing the lighted end against a hard surface:to grind out a cigarette.

n. 
  1. the act of grinding.
  2. a grinding sound.
  3. a grade of particle fineness into which a substance is ground:The coffee is available in various grinds for different coffee makers.
  4. laborious, usually uninteresting work:Copying all the footnotes was a grind.
  5. Informal Termsan excessively diligent student.
  6. Slang Termsa dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive or erotic manner. Cf. bump (def. 22).
  • bef. 950; Middle English grinden, Old English grindan; akin to Gothic grinda-, Latin frendere
grind′a•ble, adj. 
grind′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
grind′ing•ly, adv. 
    • 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged crush, powder, comminute, pound.
    • 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged persecute, plague, afflict, trouble.
    • 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged abrade.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
ground′ bass′  (bās),USA pronunciation [Music.]
  1. Music and Dancea short fundamental bass part continually repeated throughout a movement.
  • 1690–1700

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ground / ɡraʊnd/
  1. the land surface
  2. earth or soil
  3. (plural) the land around a dwelling house or other building
  4. (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,orshift 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. the prepared surface applied to the support of a painting, such as a wall, canvas, etc, to prevent it reacting with or absorbing the paint
  11. the background of a painting or main surface against which the other parts of a work of art appear superimposed
  12. the first coat of paint applied to a surface
  13. (as modifier): ground colour
  14. the bottom of a river or the sea
  15. (plural) sediment or dregs, esp from coffee
  16. the floor of a room
  17. the area from the popping crease back past the stumps, in which a batter may legally stand
  18. See ground bass
  19. a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential
  20. break new ground ⇒ to do something that has not been done before
  21. cut the ground from under someone's feet ⇒ to anticipate someone's action or argument and thus make it irrelevant or meaningless
  22. into the ground ⇒ beyond what is requisite or can be endured; to exhaustion
  23. to the ground, down to the ground ⇒ completely; absolutely: it suited him down to the ground
  24. (modifier) concerned with or operating on the ground, esp as distinct from in the air
  1. (transitive) to put or place on the ground
  2. (transitive) to instruct in fundamentals
  3. (transitive) to provide a basis or foundation for; establish
  4. (transitive) to confine (an aircraft, pilot, etc) to the ground
  5. (transitive) to confine (a child) to the house as a punishment
  6. the usual US word for earth16
  7. (transitive) to run (a vessel) aground
  8. (intransitive) to hit or reach the ground
Etymology: Old English grund; related to Old Norse grunn shallow, grunnr, grund plain, Old High German grunt
ground / ɡraʊnd/
  1. the past tense and past participle of grind
  1. having the surface finished, thickness reduced, or an edge sharpened by grinding
  2. reduced to fine particles by grinding
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
grind / ɡraɪnd/ (grinds, grinding, ground)
  1. to reduce or be reduced to small particles by pounding or abrading: to grind corn, to grind flour
  2. (transitive) to smooth, sharpen, or polish by friction or abrasion: to grind a knife
  3. to scrape or grate together (two things, esp the teeth) with a harsh rasping sound or (of such objects) to be scraped together
  4. (transitive) followed by out: to speak or say (something) in a rough voice
  5. (transitive) often followed by down: to hold down; oppress; tyrannize
  6. (transitive) to operate (a machine) by turning a handle
  7. (transitive) followed by out: to produce in a routine or uninspired manner: he ground out his weekly article for the paper
  8. (intransitive) to study or work laboriously
  1. laborious or routine work or study
  2. a specific grade of pulverization, as of coffee beans: coarse grind
  3. the act or sound of grinding
Etymology: Old English grindan; related to Latin frendere, Lithuanian gréndu I rub, Low German grand sandˈgrindingly
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
ground bass, ground / beɪs/
  1. a short melodic bass line that is repeated over and over again
'firm ground' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
firm - ground - hag - terra firma

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