the solid part of the earths 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
[ Syn: land , dry land , earth , solid ground , terra firma ]
(art) the surface (as a wall or canvas) prepared to take the paint for a painting
the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface
[ Syn: flat coat , primer , priming , primer coat , priming coat , undercoat ]
a rational motive for a belief or action; the reason that war was declared; the grounds for their declaration
[ Syn: reason ]
the loose soft material that makes up a large part of the land surface; they dug into the earth outside the church
[ Syn: earth ]
a relation that provides the foundation for something; they were on a friendly footing; he worked on an interim basis
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
[ Syn: background ]
material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use); the land had never been plowed; good agricultural soil
a relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused
a connection between an electrical device and a large conducting body, such as the earth (which is taken to be at zero voltage)
[ Syn: earth ]
ground (n.)
fix firmly and stably; anchor the lamppost in concrete
[ Syn: anchor ]
cover with a primer; apply a primer to
connect to a ground; ground the electrical connections for safety reasons'
use as a basis for; found on; base a claim on some observation
confine or restrict to the ground; After the accident, they grounded the plane and the pilot'
place or put on the ground
instruct someone in the fundamentals of a subject
bring to the ground; the storm grounded the ship
[ Syn: strand , run aground ]
hit or reach the ground
[ Syn: run aground ]
throw to the ground in order to stop play and avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage
hit a groundball; he grounded to the second baseman'
hit onto the ground