groundbreakingn.
/ˈɡraʊndbreɪkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈɡraʊndˌbreɪkɪŋ/ Originally U.S.
The action or process of digging into the ground for the first time to begin a construction project; a ceremony or event held for this purpose.Recorded earliest as a modifier; cf. Compounds.
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1846 Boston Daily Atlas 21 Aug. The ground-breaking day for the Boston Aqueduct—will be a day long remembered in the annals of our city.
1865 Waterloo (Iowa) Courier 14 Sept. The occasion of the ground breaking for the Town Central Railroad.
1958 Columbia Law Rev. 58 1116 Our centenary was marked by the groundbreaking for a new building which will lend itself to the more effective functioning of faculty, students, and administration.
2021 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 24 Jan. (Front section) 4/5 Just a couple of days after some 200 residents celebrated the groundbreaking for the ballroom expansion with a ‘burger bash’ in March, the governor issued a stay-at-home order.
Compounds
General use as modifier, as in groundbreaking ceremony, groundbreaking event, etc.
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1846 Boston Daily Atlas 21 Aug. The ground-breaking day for the Boston Aqueduct—will be a day long remembered in the annals of our city.
1907 Topeka (Kansas) State Jrnl. 13 Nov. 10/2 The directors of the Topeka & Southwestern railroad will meet..to complete arrangements for the ground-breaking ceremony.
1956 Sarasota (Florida) Herald-Tribune 21 Nov. 3/3 The program was climaxed by the ground-breaking event in which the..pastor of the church..turned the first spade of ground for the proposed building.
2021 Liverpool Echo (Nexis) 9 Oct. Work is continuing at a pace for the new Anfield Road end expansion... Just over a week ago Jurgen Klopp braved the rain to carry out the honour of ground breaking duties.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
groundbreakingadj.
/ˈɡraʊndbreɪkɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈɡraʊndˌbreɪkɪŋ/ Innovative and new; pioneering; characterized by bold originality. Cf. break v. Phrases 3c.
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the world > action or operation > prosperity > advancement or progress > [adjective] > pioneering
pioneering1785
pioneer1845
pace-setting1902
groundbreaking1904
front line1914
style-setting1955
breakthrough1956
leading edge1977
1904 Philos. Rev. 13 (end matter) The book will be recognized by the well-informed everywhere as a ground-breaking and standard-setting contribution to a descriptive sociology of the American people.
1965 Language 41 138 She has had to do groundbreaking work in establishing the phonological..correspondences between a number of foreign languages and Russian in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2016 New Scientist 18 June 7/4 The US White House has announced new initiatives to help improve organ transplants, including..funding for researchers working on groundbreaking regenerative therapies.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2022).
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n.1846
adj.1904- to dip one's toe in
- to dip one's toe in the water
- to dip one's wick
- to dip sheep
- to dip snuff
- to dip wick
- to disadvantage
- to disappear into the ether
- to disappear up one's own arse
- to disappear up one's own ass
- to disavail oneself of
- to discharge and recharge
- to disclaim to hold of
- to disclaim to hold of a person
- to discover check
- to discretion
- to dish about
- to dish it out
- to dispatch out of life
- to dispatch out of the way
- to dispatch the life of
- to dispatch the world
- to dispend land
- to dispense with
- to display promise