ground : Idioms & Phrases

• noun the dregs remaining after brewing coffee
  

WordNet

• angling with a weighted line without a float.

Webster 1913

• (Scots Law), an estate created in land by a vassal who instead of selling his land outright reserves an annual ground rent, which becomes a perpetual charge upon the land.

Webster 1913

• . (Bot.) See Groutweed.

Webster 1913

• (Mining), a superintendent of mines. Simmonds.

Webster 1913

• noun bait scattered on the water to attract fish
  

WordNet

• bits of bread, boiled barley or worms, etc., thrown into the water to collect the fish, Wallon.

Webster 1913

• (Mus.), fundamental base; a fundamental base continually repeated to a varied melody.

Webster 1913

• noun predacious shining black or metallic terrestrial beetle that destroys many injurious insects
  carabid beetle.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), one of numerous species of carnivorous beetles of the family Carabidæ, living mostly in burrows or under stones, etc.

Webster 1913

• a room on the ground floor.

Webster 1913

• noun any of numerous cosmopolitan annual or perennial herbs of the genus Physalis bearing edible fleshy berries enclosed in a bladderlike husk; some cultivated for their flowers
  husk tomato.
  

WordNet

• . (Bot.) (a) A genus (Physalis) of herbaceous plants having an inflated calyx for a seed pod: esp., the strawberry tomato (P. Alkekengi). See Alkekengl. (b) A European shrub (Prunus Chamæcerasus), with small, very acid fruit.

Webster 1913

• a cock, the plug of which is ground into its seat, as distinguished from a compression cock. Knight.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) See Chaparral cock.
• the chaparral cock.

Webster 1913

• . (Bot.) See Lavender cotton.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), one of several small American pigeons of the genus Columbigallina, esp. C. passerina of the Southern United States, Mexico, etc. They live chiefly on the ground.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), any fish which constantly lives on the botton of the sea, as the sole, turbot, halibut.

Webster 1913

• noun the floor of a building that is at or nearest to the level of the ground around the building
  ground level; first floor.
  
• noun becoming part of a venture at the beginning (regarded as position of advantage)
  
  • he got in on the ground floor

WordNet

• the floor of a house most nearly on a level with the ground; called also in America, but not in England, the first floor.

Webster 1913

• (Gram.), the stem or basis of a word, to which the other parts are added in declension or conjugation. It is sometimes, but not always, the same as the root. = lemma

Webster 1913

• (Bot.), a low slightly thorny, leguminous shrub (Ononis arvensis) of Europe and Central Asia,; called also rest-harrow.

Webster 1913

• hares, rabbits, etc., as distinguished from winged game.

Webster 1913

• noun glass that diffuses light due to a rough surface produced by abrasion or etching
  
• noun particulate glass made by grinding and used as an abrasive
  

WordNet

• glass the transparency of which has been destroyed by having its surface roughened by grinding.

Webster 1913

• (Bot.), a perennial herb (Veronica officinalis) with small blue flowers, common in Europe and America, formerly thought to have curative properties.

Webster 1913

• (Bot.), the yew (Taxus baccata var. Canadensisi) of eastern North America, distinguished from that of Europe by its low, straggling stems.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) (a) The woodchuck or American marmot (Arctomys monax). See Woodchuck. (b) The aardvark.

Webster 1913

• (Naut.), ground tackle. Obs. Spenser.

Webster 1913

• ice formed at the bottom of a body of water before it forms on the surface.

Webster 1913

• noun trailing European aromatic plant of the mint family having rounded leaves and small purplish flowers often grown in hanging baskets; naturalized in North America; sometimes placed in genus Nepeta
  field balm; runaway robin; Nepeta hederaceae; Glechoma hederaceae; alehoof; gill-over-the-ground.
  

WordNet

• . (Bot.) A trailing plant; alehoof. See Gill.

Webster 1913

• a close joint made by grinding together two pieces, as of metal with emery and oil, or of glass with fine sand and water.

Webster 1913

• a joist for a basement or ground floor; a. sleeper.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), the European pipit. See Pipit.

Webster 1913

• (Bot.). See Trailing arbutus, under Arbutus.
• trailing arbutus.

Webster 1913

• (Descriptive Geom.), the line of intersection of the horizontal and vertical planes of projection.

Webster 1913

• (Bot.), a flowerless plant with a broad flat forking thallus and the fruit raised on peduncled and radiated receptacles (Marchantia polymorpha).

Webster 1913

• in Scotland, the fee paid for interment in a churchyard.

Webster 1913

• (Geol.), the fine-grained or glassy base of a rock, in which distinct crystals of its constituents are embedded.

Webster 1913

• (Astron.), the surface of any part of the celestial sphere upon which the stars may be regarded as projected.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), one of several Australian parrakeets, of the genera Callipsittacus and Geopsittacus, which live mainly upon the ground.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), an insect of the family Coccidæ (Margarodes formicarum), found in ants' nests in the Bahamas, and having a shelly covering. They are strung like beads, and made into necklaces by the natives.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a large, burrowing, African rodent (Aulacodus Swinderianus) about two feet long, allied to the porcupines but with harsh, bristly hair, and no spines; called also ground rat.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), one of numerous species of pigeons which live largely upon the ground, as the tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), of the Samoan Islands, and the crowned pigeon, or goura. See Goura, and Ground dove (above).

Webster 1913

• noun any of several club mosses having long creeping stems and erect branches
  Christmas green.
  
• noun low-growing annual with yellow flowers dotted red; faintly aromatic of pine resin; Europe, British Isles and North Africa
  yellow bugle; Ajuga chamaepitys.
  

WordNet

• . (Bot.) (a) A blue-flowered herb of the genus Ajuga (A. Chamæpitys), formerly included in the genus Teucrium or germander, and named from its resinous smell. Sir L. Hill. (b) A long, creeping, evergreen plant of the genus Lycopodium (L. clavatum); called also club moss. (c) A tree-shaped evergreen plant about eight inches in height, of the same genus (L. dendroideum) found in moist, dark woods in the northern part of the United States. Gray.

Webster 1913

• noun a floor plan for the ground level of a building
  

WordNet

• (Arch.), a plan of the ground floor of any building, or of any floor, as distinguished from an elevation or perpendicular section.

Webster 1913

• the horizontal plane of projection in perspective drawing.

Webster 1913

• . (a) (Arch.) One of the chief pieces of framing of a building; a timber laid horizontally on or near the ground to support the uprights; a ground sill or groundsel. (b) (Railroads) A bed plate for sleepers or ties; a mudsill. (c) (Teleg.) A metallic plate buried in the earth to conduct the electric current thereto. Connection to the pipes of a gas or water main is usual in cities. Knight.

Webster 1913

• the ground upon which any structure is erected; hence, any basis or foundation; also, a ground plan.

Webster 1913

• (Bot.), a leguminous plant (Astragalus caryocarpus) occurring from the Saskatchewan to Texas, and having a succulent plum-shaped pod.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) See Ground pig (above).

Webster 1913

• noun payment for the right to occupy and improve a piece of land
  

WordNet

• rent paid for the privilege of building on another man's land.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) See Chewink.

Webster 1913

• a room on the ground floor; a lower room. Tatler.

Webster 1913

• the West Indian name for a swell of the ocean, which occurs in calm weather and without obvious cause, breaking on the shore in heavy roaring billows; called also rollers, and in Jamaica, the North sea.

Webster 1913

• . See Ground plate (a) (above).

Webster 1913

• noun small shy brightly-ringed terrestrial snake of arid or semiarid areas of western North America
  Sonora semiannulata.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), a small burrowing American snake (Celuta amoena). It is salmon colored, and has a blunt tail.

Webster 1913

• noun small striped semiterrestrial eastern American squirrel with cheek pouches
  Tamias striatus; striped squirrel; eastern chipmunk; hackee.
  
• noun any of various terrestrial burrowing rodents of Old and New Worlds; often destroy crops
  spermophile; gopher.
  

WordNet

• . (Zoöl.) (a) One of numerous species of burrowing rodents of the genera Tamias and Spermophilus, having cheek pouches. The former genus includes the Eastern striped squirrel or chipmunk and some allied Western species; the latter includes the prairie squirrel or striped gopher, the gray gopher, and many allied Western species. See Chipmunk, and Gopher. (b) Any species of the African genus Xerus, allied to Tamias.

Webster 1913

• . Same as Ground floor (above).

Webster 1913

• noun the body substance in which tissue cells are embedded
  intercellular substance; matrix.
  
• noun the clear nongranular portion of the cytoplasm of a cell
  hyaloplasm.
  

WordNet

• (Anat.), the intercellular substance, or matrix, of tissues.

Webster 1913

• noun an obvious change of public opinion or political sentiment that occurs without leadership or overt expression
  
  • there was a ground swell of antiwar sentiment
• noun a broad and deep undulation of the ocean
  heavy swell.
  

WordNet

• . (a) (Bot.) The plant groundsel. Obs. Holland. (b) A broad, deep swell or undulation of the ocean, caused by a long continued gale, and felt even at a remote distance after the gale has ceased.

Webster 1913

• . (Arch.) See Earth table, under Earth.

Webster 1913

• noun a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
  anchor.
  

WordNet

• (Naut.), the tackle necessary to secure a vessel at anchor. Totten.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), one of numerous species of bright-colored Oriental birds of the family Pittidæ. See Pitta.

Webster 1913

• . (a) The lowest tier of water casks in a vessel's hold. Totten. (b) The lowest line of articles of any kind stowed in a vessel's hold. (c) The lowest range of boxes in a theater.

Webster 1913

• (Shipbuilding) the timbers which lie on the keel and are bolted to the keelson; floor timbers. Knight.

Webster 1913

• . (Zoöl.) See Ground wren (below).

Webster 1913

• that wheel of a harvester, mowing machine, etc., which, rolling on the ground, drives the mechanism.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a small California bird (Chamæa fasciata) allied to the wrens and titmice. It inhibits the arid plains. Called also gronnd tit, and wren lit.

Webster 1913

• the region to which, according to the belief of American Indians, the souls of warriors and hunters pass after death, to be happy in hunting and feasting. Tylor.

Webster 1913

• etc., the farm, grounds, etc., adjacent to the residence of the owner.

Webster 1913

• . See under Bite, Break.

Webster 1913

• to come to nothing; to fail; to miscarry.

Webster 1913

• . (a) To advance; to proceed forward in confict; as, an army in battle gains ground. (b) To obtain an advantage; to have some success; as, the army gains ground on the enemy. (c) To gain credit; to become more prosperous or influential.

Webster 1913

• to gain ground. R. "Evening mist . . . gathers ground fast." Milton.

  There is no way for duty to prevail, and get ground of them, but by bidding higher. South.

Webster 1913

• to recede; to yield advantage.

  These nine . . . began to give me ground. Shak.

Webster 1913

• to retire; to retreat; to withdraw from the position taken; hence, to lose advantage; to lose credit or reputation; to decline.

Webster 1913

• to stand firm; to resist attack or encroachment. Atterbury.
• to keep the ground or station one has taken; to maintain one's position. "Pleasants and burghers, however brave, are unable to stand their ground against veteran soldiers." Macaulay.

Webster 1913

• to touch bottom or become stranded; said of a ship.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite logically valid
  sound; reasoned.
  
  • a sound argument

WordNet