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Definition of ground noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ground

noun
 
 
/ɡraʊnd/
 
/ɡraʊnd/
Idioms
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    surface of earth

  1.  
    (often the ground)
    [uncountable] the solid surface of the earth
    • on the ground I found her lying on the ground.
    • to the ground He fell to the ground, crying out in pain.
    • above (the) ground The adult insects live above ground.
    • The helicopter hovered a couple of hundred metres above the ground.
    • below (the) ground The library has four levels below ground and seven above.
    • Most of the monkey's food is found at ground level.
    Extra Examples
    • He sat down on the ground.
    • Her eyes searched the ground.
    • The helicopter burst into flames when it hit the ground.
    • The plane was so overloaded it couldn't leave the ground.
    • The horse pawed the ground impatiently.
    • The roots may spread as far below ground as does the foliage above ground.
    • The town stands on high ground and is not prone to flooding.
    • The tunnel goes deep under the ground.
    • The window is just above ground level.
    • Thunder shook the ground.
    • a hole in the ground
    • the broken branches which littered the ground
    • It was buried three metres below ground.
    • Her feet don't reach the ground when she sits down.
    • The rope barely reached the ground below.
    • The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.
    • The plant grows to about two feet above ground.
    • The ground fell away to the left of the road.
    Topics Geographya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • firm
    • hard
    • solid
    • …
    verb + ground
    • fall to
    • hit
    • strike
    • …
    ground + noun
    • level
    • forces
    • troops
    • …
    phrases
    • the ground beneath somebody’s feet
    preposition
    • above ground
    • below ground
    • in the ground
    • …
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] (especially in noun compounds) used to describe activities that take place on the ground, not in the air or at sea
    • Ground forces were deployed in the area.
    • the deployment of ground troops
    • a ground and air attack
    • on the ground He called for more troops on the ground.
    3.

    area of land

  3.  
     [uncountable] an area of open land
    • The kids were playing on waste ground behind the school.
    • We found a patch of open ground in the middle of the woods.
    • There was a small patch of ground at the side of the cottage.
    • They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • high
    • low
    • open
    • …
    … of ground
    • patch
    • piece
    See full entry
  4.  
     [countable] (often in compounds) an area of land that is used for a particular purpose, activity or sport
    • a football/cricket ground
    • The atmosphere inside the ground was electric.
    Synonyms landlandlot ▪ ground ▪ space ▪ plotThese words all mean an area of land that is used for a particular purpose.land an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:
    • agricultural land
    lot (North American English) a piece of land that is used or intended for a particular purpose:
    • building lots
    • a parking lot
    ground an area of land that is used for a particular purpose :
    • The kids were playing on waste ground near the school.
    • the site of an ancient burial ground
     land, lot or ground?Land is used for large areas of open land in the country, especially when it is used for farming. A lot is often a smaller piece of land in a town or city, especially one intended for building or parking on. Ground is any area of open land; a ground is an area of land designed or used for a particular purpose or activity.space a large area of land that has no buildings on it:
    • The city has plenty of open space.
    • the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies
    plot a small piece of land used or intended for a particular purpose:
    • She bought a small plot of land to build a house.
    • a vegetable plot
     lot or plot?Either a lot or a plot can be used for building on. Only a plot can also be used for growing vegetables or burying people.Patterns
    • an open space
    • open/​empty/​vacant/​waste/​derelict land/​ground
    • a/​an empty/​vacant lot/​plot
    see also breeding ground, burial ground, dumping ground, home ground, hunting ground, parade ground, recreation ground, stamping ground, testing ground, training ground
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • cricket
    • football
    • rugby
    • …
    preposition
    • at a/​the ground
    • inside a/​the ground
    See full entry
  5. grounds
     [plural] a large area of land or sea that is used for a particular purpose
    • fishing grounds
    • feeding grounds for birds
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • burial
    • dumping
    • camp
    • …
    preposition
    • at a/​the ground
    • in a/​the ground
    See full entry
    6.

    soil

  6.  
     [uncountable] soil on the surface of the earth
    • fertile ground for planting crops
    • Prepare the ground before you plant anything.
    • in/into the ground You can sow the seeds directly into the ground.
    • The car got stuck in the muddy ground.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • firm
    • hard
    • solid
    • …
    verb + ground
    • fall to
    • hit
    • strike
    • …
    ground + noun
    • level
    • forces
    • troops
    • …
    phrases
    • the ground beneath somebody’s feet
    preposition
    • above ground
    • below ground
    • in the ground
    • …
    See full entry
    7.

    gardens

  7.  
    grounds
    [plural] the land or gardens around a large building
    • the hospital grounds
    • We had a guided tour of the house and grounds.
    • The house has extensive grounds.
    Extra Examples
    • Many estate workers lived in cottages in the grounds of the castle.
    • The doctor's office is on the grounds of the hospital.
    • The palace is set in extensive grounds.
    • The boys were playing in the school grounds after hours.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • extensive
    • large
    • castle
    • …
    verb + grounds
    • be set in
    • have
    • cross
    • …
    preposition
    • in the grounds (of)
    • on the grounds (of)
    See full entry
    8.

    area of knowledge/ideas

  8.  
     [uncountable] an area of interest, knowledge or ideas
    • He managed to cover a lot of ground in a short talk.
    • We had to go over the same ground (= talk about the same things again) in class the next day.
    • on… ground I thought I was on safe ground (= not likely to offend or upset somebody) talking about music.
    • You're on dangerous ground (= likely to offend or upset somebody) if you criticize his family.
    • Legal scholars say the president is on shaky ground.
    • He felt he was back on familiar ground.
    • ground for something Paris in the 1920s was fertile ground for artistic experimentation.
    see also common ground, high ground, middle ground
    Extra Examples
    • He knew he was on dangerous ground talking about money.
    • I was on more familiar ground now that we were talking about our own system.
    • I apologize if I'm going over old ground.
    • Legally, we're on very shaky ground.
    • Several researchers have published articles covering this ground.
    • We just seem to be going over the same ground that we covered last year.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • familiar
    • home
    • old
    • …
    verb + ground
    • cover
    • go over
    • tread
    • …
    preposition
    • on… ground
    phrases
    • break new ground
    • hold your ground
    • stand your ground
    • …
    See full entry
    9.

    good reason

  9.  
     [countable, usually plural] a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something
    • ground(s) for something You have no grounds for complaint.
    • ground(s) for doing something What were his grounds for wanting a divorce?
    • ground(s) to do something There are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been committed.
    • on the ground(s) that… The case was dismissed on the ground that there was insufficient evidence.
    • on grounds of something Employers cannot discriminate on grounds of age.
    • on… grounds He retired early on health grounds.
    • She was released on compassionate grounds.
    • (law) What are the grounds of appeal?
    • without grounds Their caution was not without grounds.
    Synonyms reasonreasonexplanation ▪ grounds ▪ basis ▪ excuse ▪ motive ▪ justification ▪ pretextThese are all words for a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done.reason a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done; a fact that makes it right or fair to do something:
    • He said no but he didn’t give a reason.
    explanation a statement, fact or situation that tells you why something has happened; a reason given for something:
    • The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
    • She left the room abruptly without explanation.
    grounds (rather formal) a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something:
    • You have no grounds for complaint.
    basis (rather formal) the reason why people take a particular action:
    • On what basis will this decision be made?
    excuse a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour; a good reason that you give for doing something that you want to do for other reasons:
    • Late again! What’s your excuse this time?
    • It gave me an excuse to take the car.
    motive a reason that explains somebody’s behaviour:
    • There seemed to be no motive for the murder.
    justification (rather formal) a good reason why something exists or is done:
    • I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases.
     grounds or justification?Justification is used to talk about finding or understanding reasons for actions, or trying to explain why it is a good idea to do something. It is often used with words like little, no, some, every, without, and not any. Grounds is used more for talking about reasons that already exist, or that have already been decided, for example by law: moral/​economic grounds.pretext (rather formal) a false reason that you give for doing something, usually something bad, in order to hide the real reason:
    • He left the party early on the pretext of having to work.
    Patterns
    • (a/​an) reason/​explanation/​grounds/​basis/​excuse/​motive/​justification/​pretext for something
    • the reason/​motive behind something
    • on the grounds/​basis/​pretext of/​that…
    • (a) good/​valid reason/​explanation/​grounds/​excuse/​motive/​justification
    Extra Examples
    • Drunkenness at work was sufficient grounds for instant dismissal.
    • He resigned from his post on the grounds of ill health.
    • His evasiveness gave grounds for the suspicion that he knew more than he was saying.
    • Permission to open a mine was denied on environmental grounds.
    • The constable had reasonable grounds for arresting her.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • good
    • reasonable
    • strong
    • …
    verb + grounds
    • have
    • be
    • give (somebody)
    • …
    preposition
    • on… grounds
    • on the grounds of
    • ground for
    • …
    See full entry
    10.

    in liquid

  10. grounds
     [plural] the small pieces of solid matter in a liquid that have fallen to the bottom
    • coffee grounds
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • burial
    • dumping
    • camp
    • …
    preposition
    • at a/​the ground
    • in a/​the ground
    See full entry
    11.

    electrical wire

  11. (North American English)
    (British English earth)
    [countable, usually singular] a wire that connects an electric circuit with the ground and makes it safe
    • Don't forget to connect the ground wire.
    Topics Engineeringc2

    12. background

  12. [countable] a background that a design is painted or printed on
    • pink roses on a white ground
    13. Word Originnoun Old English grund, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch grond and German Grund.
Idioms
be on firm/solid ground
  1. to be in a strong position in an argument, etc. because you know the facts
    • Everyone agreed with me, so I knew I was on firm ground.
    • He is probably on solid ground when he says we need more training.
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
break ground (North American English)
  1. to start digging for a new building project
    • They broke ground for the new highway this month.
  2. (also break new ground British and North American English)
     to make a new discovery or do something that has not been done before
    • Her architectural designs have broken new ground.
    • She broke ground by being the first Black woman to win the award.
    see also groundbreaking
break new ground
  1. to make a new discovery or do something that has not been done before
    • Her architectural designs have broken new ground.
    see also groundbreaking
cut the ground from under somebody’s feet
  1. to suddenly cause somebody’s idea or plan to fail by doing something to stop them from continuing with it
fall on stony ground
  1. to fail to produce the result or the effect that you hope for; to have little success
    • His charming smile fell on stony ground with her.
    • The peace initiatives have already fallen on stony ground.
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
from the ground up
  1. (informal) completely, or including everything, starting with the most basic things
    • We need to rebuild the system from the ground up.
    • He learned about the business from the ground up.
gain ground
  1. to become more powerful or successful
    • Sterling continues to gain ground against the dollar.
    Topics Successc2
gain/make up ground (on somebody/something)
  1. to gradually get closer to somebody/something that is moving or making progress in an activity
    • The police car was gaining ground on the suspects.
    • They needed to make up ground on their competitors.
get (something) off the ground
  1. to start happening successfully; to make something start happening successfully
    • Without more money, the movie is unlikely to get off the ground.
    • to get a new company off the ground
    • His plan is too costly to ever get off the ground.
    Topics Successc1
give/lose ground (to somebody/something)
  1. to allow somebody/something to have an advantage; to lose an advantage for yourself
    • They are not prepared to give ground on tax cuts.
    • The Conservatives lost a lot of ground to the Liberal Democrats at the election.
go to ground
  1. (British English) to hide, especially to escape from somebody
have/keep your feet on the ground
  1. to have a sensible and realistic attitude to life
    • In spite of his overnight stardom he still manages to keep his feet on the ground.
hit the ground running
  1. (informal) to start doing something and continue very quickly and successfullyTopics Successc2
hold/stand your ground
  1. to continue with your opinions or intentions when somebody is opposing you and wants you to change
    • Don't let him persuade you—stand your ground.
    • She held her ground in the debate.
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
  2. to face a situation and refuse to run away
    • It is not easy to hold your ground in front of someone with a gun.
keep/have your ear to the ground
  1. to make sure that you always find out about the most recent developments in a particular situation
    • The agent had no suitable properties on his books but promised to keep an ear to the ground for us.
on the ground
  1. in the place where something is happening and among the people who are in the situation, especially a war
    • On the ground, there are hopes that the fighting will soon stop.
    • There's a lot of support for the policy on the ground.
on neutral ground/territory
  1. in a place that has no connection with either of the people or sides who are meeting and so does not give an advantage to either of them
    • We decided to meet on neutral ground.
on somebody's own ground
  1. in an area where somebody has a lot of power, knowledge or experience
    • They are fighting the Conservatives on their own ground.
    • When it comes to music I'm on my own ground.
prepare the ground (for something)
  1. to make it possible or easier for something to be achieved
    • The committee will prepare the ground for next month's meeting.
    • Early experiments with rockets prepared the ground for space travel.
run somebody/something into the ground
  1. to make somebody work so hard that they are no longer able to work; to use something so much that it is broken
run/drive/work yourself into the ground
  1. to work so hard that you become extremely tired
shift your ground
  1. (usually disapproving) to change your opinion about a subject, especially during a discussion
    • Each time he seemed to be losing the argument, he just shifted his ground.
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
suit somebody down to the ground
  1. (British English, informal) to be very convenient or acceptable for somebody
    • This job suits me down to the ground.
    • Country life suits me down to the ground!
take, claim, seize, etc. the moral high ground
  1. to claim that your side of an argument is morally better than your opponents’ side; to argue in a way that makes your side seem morally better
    • I was angry with his blatant attempt to take the moral high ground.
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
thick/thin on the ground
  1. (British English) if people or things are thick/thin on the ground, there are a lot/not many of them in a place
    • Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.
    • Security officers were thick on the ground during the King’s visit.
to the ground
  1. completely, so that there is nothing left
    • The hotel burned to the ground.
    • The city was razed to the ground (= completely destroyed).
See ground in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee ground in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: ground

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adjective
 
 
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