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actual place where something, especially a war, is happening, rather than in another place where the situation is being watched or discussed: While the politicians discussed possible peace plans, the situation on the ground was tense. | We turn now to our reporter on the ground for an up-to-the-minute run-down of events. 12 to ground BrE into hiding to escape: The criminals went to ground in a deserted old farmhouse. -> see also GROUNDS, break new ground (BREAK¹), cut the ground from under someone's feet (CUT¹), have/keep one's ear to the ground (EAR¹), have/keep both one's feet on the ground (FOOT¹), stand one's ground (STAND¹), suit someone down to the ground (SUIT²)
ground² v 1 [I;T] to strike or cause (a boat) to strike against the bottom of the sea, a river etc: The ship grounded on a hidden sandbank. | He grounded his ship in two metres of water. 2 [T] a) to prevent (a plane or pilot) from flying: All aircraft have been grounded because of thick fog. | He's been grounded for dangerous flying. b) AmE infml to prevent (a child) from going out as a punishment: My father grounded me for coming in late. 3 [T+obj+adv/prep, especially on, in] to base: Our development plans are grounded on the results of our market research. | Our fears proved to be well grounded. 4 [T] especially AmE for EARTH
ground sbdy. in sthg. phr v [T usually pass.] to teach the main points or rules of (a subject) as a base for further study: Our English teacher made sure that we were well grounded in basic grammar. -> see also GROUNDING
ground³ past tense & participle of GRIND: freshly ground coffee
ground bait n [U] food which is thrown onto a river, lake etc, to attract fish to the place where one is fishing
ground ball also ground·er /'graʊndə/ n AmE (in BASEBALL) a ball which travels along the ground after being hit -> compare FLY BALL
ground 'beef n [U] AmE BEEF that has been cut very finely, often used to make HAMBURGERS
ground·break·ing /'graʊndˌbreɪkɪŋ/ adj groundbreaking work involves making new discoveries, using new methods etc
ground cloth n AmE for GROUNDSHEET
ground ,cover n [U] plants that cover the ground, in a forest or in a place where they have been planted specifically for that purpose: We need some ground cover for that corner of the garden.
ground crew also ground staff BrE - n [C+sing./pl. v] the team of people at an airport who do not fly aircraft but take care of them between flights
ground 'floor n 1 the part of a building at or near ground level: My office is on the ground floor. -> compare FIRST FLOOR; see FLOOR (USAGE) 2 get/be in on the ground floor to be part of an activity, business operation etc from the time it starts
Ground Force a British television programme in which a group of GARDENERS help someone to completely change a garden while that person's partner is away for a few days. When the partner returns, he or she gets a huge surprise. People who have presented the programme include Charlie Dimmock, Tommy Walsh, and Alan Titchmarsh.
ground ,forces n [P] the part of the armed forces that fights on the ground, not in the air or at sea
ground 'glass n [U] 1 glass which has had the surface partly rubbed away so that it can spread the light which passes through it 2 glass in powder form
ground·hog /'graʊndhɒg || -hɔːg, -hɑːg/ also woodchuck, marmot n a small North American animal of the MARMOT family, that has thick fur and lives in holes in the ground
Groundhog ,Day n (in the US) 2nd February. On this day, according to old stories, the groundhog comes out of its hole for the first time since winter began. If it sees its shadow, it is frightened back into its hole and there will be six more weeks of winter, but if it is cloudy and the groundhog cannot see its shadow, there will be an early spring. -> see Feature on page A17
ground·ing /'graʊndɪŋ/ n [S(in)] a complete training in the main points of a subject: All our students receive a good grounding in English grammar.
ground·less /'graʊndləs/ adj (of feelings, ideas etc) without base or good reason: Fortunately my fears/suspicions proved groundless. --ly adv --ness n [U]
ground·ling /'graʊndlɪŋ/ n a person of low position in relation to others, especially in former times one watching a performance from the cheapest part of the theatre
ground·nut /'graʊndnʌt/ n especially tech a PEANUT or peanut plant
'ground plan n 1 a drawn plan of a building at ground level 2 a general plan of arrangements for a particular piece of work
'ground rent n [C;U] rent paid during a certain time (in England usually 99 years) to the owner of land (FREEHOLDER) by a person whose house is built on this land
'ground rule n [often pl.] a rule used as a base for deciding how to deal with something: One of the ground rules of/for social behaviour is to avoid offending people.
grounds /graʊndz/ n [P] 1 [(for)] a reason; the facts or conditions that provide a base for an action or feeling: We have good grounds for thinking that he stole the money. | He left on (the) grounds of ill-health/on the grounds that he was ill. | She refused on moral grounds. 2 land surrounding a large building, such as a country house or hospital, usually made into gardens and enclosed by a wall or fence 3 a large area used for the stated purpose: fishing grounds | hunting grounds 4 small bits of solid matter which sink to the bottom of a liquid, especially coffee: coffee grounds
ground·sheet /'graʊndʃiːt/ BrE ¦ ground cloth AmE - n a sheet of WATERPROOF material used by someone sleeping outdoors or put under a tent
grounds·man /'graʊndzmən/ n pl. -men /-mən/ especially BrE a man employed to take care of a sports field or large gardens
'ground ,squirrel n one of several types of N American RODENT that often damage crops
'ground staff n [C+sing./pl. v] BrE 1 a team of people employed at a sports ground to look after the grass, the sports equipment etc 2 GROUND CREW
'ground ,stroke n a stroke made in tennis and similar games by hitting the ball after it has hit the ground
ground·swell /'graʊndswel/ n 1 [S(of)] a sudden and quickly-developing growth of a feeling among large numbers of people: There is a groundswell of public opinion in favour of letting these refugees enter the country. 2 [S;U] the strong movement of the sea which continues after a storm or strong winds
ground·wa·ter /'graʊndwɔːtə || -wɔː-, -wɑː-/ n [U] water that can be found under the earth by digging wells
ground·work /'graʊndwɜːk || -wɜːrk/ n [U] the work which forms the base for some kind of study, skill, or activity: These preliminary talks laid the groundwork for the meeting between the two leaders.
,ground 'zero n [U] the exact place where a bomb explodes. This is now used especially to refer to the area of land in New York City where the World Trade Center used to be before it was destroyed by TERRORISTS on September 11, 2001.
group¹ /gru:p/ n [C+sing./pl. v] 1 [(of)] a number of people, things, or organizations placed together or connected in a particular way: A group of tall trees stands on top of the hill. | A group of us are going up to London for the day. | a photo of a family group | 'Which blood group do you belong to?' 'Group A.' | a small group of congressmen campaigning for tougher anti-pollution laws | English belongs to the Germanic group of languages. | the Longman Group of companies -> see also AGE GROUP 2 a small number of players of popular music, sometimes with a singer: The Beatles were the best-known pop group of the 1960s.
group² v [I+adv/prep;T] to form into one or more groups: The children grouped round the piano. | We can group animals into several types. | Let's group all the history books together.
Group 4 /ˌgrup ˈfɔːr/ an international SECURITY² organization, which provides many different services, including carrying money and valuable goods, and taking prisoners in guarded vehicles to and from law courts. In the past, several prisoners have escaped from Group 4 guarded vehicles and people sometimes mention this in jokes.