the solid part of the earth's surface
"the plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land"
"the earth shook for several minutes"
"he dropped the logs on the ground"
a position to be won or defended in battle (or as if in battle)
"they gained ground step by step"
"they fought to regain the lost ground"
the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground
"he posed her against a background of rolling hills"
a relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused
"The artist added soft gray washes to the ground behind the vibrant red apple so that it would stand out sharply."
(art) the surface (as a wall or canvas) prepared to take the paint for a painting
"The artist spent hours priming the rough ground on his large canvas before applying the first layer of oil."
the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface
"Before hanging the new wallpaper, the painter had to apply a fresh coat of ground over the old plaster to ensure it wouldn't peel."
The surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sky or water or underground.
"After watching the rainstorm from inside, we finally stepped outside onto the wet ground to see how much had fallen."
In plain English: The ground is the solid surface of the earth that you walk on.
"The children played on the soft ground after the rain stopped."
Usage: Use "ground" as a noun to refer to the solid surface of the earth where you walk or stand. It specifically denotes the land itself rather than the air above it or the space beneath it.
confine or restrict to the ground
"After the accident, they grounded the plane and the pilot"
place or put on the ground
"She gently lowered the heavy box to the ground before opening it."
instruct someone in the fundamentals of a subject
"The veteran chef took time to ground the new apprentice in the basics of knife skills and sauce making before letting him work independently."
hit or reach the ground
"The soccer ball flew through the air and finally grounded at his feet."
throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage
"The quarterback faked a handoff before quickly throwing the ball back down toward his feet so he could reset at the line."
To connect (an electrical conductor or device) to a ground.
"The old coffee machine finally ground all the beans into a fine powder for our morning brew."
simple past tense and past participle of grind
In plain English: To ground something means to connect it physically to the earth so electricity can safely flow away from it.
"Please ground your skis firmly before making the jump."
Usage: Do not confuse the verb "ground," which means to prohibit someone from leaving their house, with "grind," the past tense of grinding something down. Use "ground" when referring to restricting movement, while "grind" describes crushing or wearing away a substance.
Crushed, or reduced to small particles.
"The ancient warriors ground their weapons into dust before burying them in the earth."
In plain English: Ground means being on the solid surface of the earth instead of floating or flying.
"The ground floor is easy to reach from the garden."
Usage: Use "ground" as an adjective to describe something that has been crushed into small particles, such as ground coffee or ground glass. It indicates a state of being pulverized rather than referring to the earth's surface.
The word "ground" comes from the Old English grund, where it originally meant the bottom or foundation of something. It traveled into modern English through Middle English while retaining its core sense of earth or base.