well-groundadj.
/ˌwɛlˈɡraʊnd/, U.S. /ˌwɛlˈɡraʊnd/ 1. Thoroughly or properly abraded, fashioned, or sharpened by grinding.
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c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iv. l. 3885 A spere þat was squarid wel, Ronde þe shafte, and þe hed wel grounde.
a1500 Partenay (Trin. Cambr.) l. 2998 A Fauchon of stele went he unto take, Well grounde or whet, but tendre was it noght.
1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique iii. ix. 441 A little knife or penknife.., which must be alwaies wel ground, neat, burnished, and without all rust.
1661 R. Boyle Hist. Fluidity & Firmnesse ii, in Certain Physiol. Ess. 185 Having purposely appli'd a long glasse-stopple of an almost conical figure, and well ground, to the mouth of a..bottle.
1777 J. J. de Magalhães Descr. Glass Apparatus Min. Waters 14 This stopple must be..so well ground and smooth in its contact, as to be air-tight by its pressure.
1848 A. Stevenson Acct. Skerryvore Lighthouse v. 122 The whole face having been once gone over..with a blunt axe, a sharper and well ground axe is next used.
1893 Astron. & Astro-physics 12 363 Forming an image of the Sun..on a very thin well ground plate of uranium glass.
1928 Pop. Sci. Monthly Dec. 86/2 One way is to drill a small hole.., and then to enlarge it to size with a sharp and well-ground drill.
2007 R. Loverance in A. H. S. Megaw Kourion vii. 327/1 White marble. Finely dressed and polished on upper surfaces, well ground on reverse.
2. Reduced to very or sufficiently small particles by grinding; thoroughly or properly ground.
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the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation of grain > milling or grinding > [adjective] > ground
well-groundc1500
multured1718
milleda1831
smacked1886
stone-milled1901
stone-ground1905
c1500 in J. Harley et al. Rep. MSS R. R. Hastings (1928) I. 426 (MED) To mak red wax: Tak wax and boile it and put ther to vermyloun well groun and styr it welle.
1560 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli 2nd Pt. Secretes Alexis of Piemont 121 Put a little of it betwene your teeth before, and if you feele it cracke as it were pouder, than it is well grounde.
1615 G. Markham Eng. Hus-wife in Countrey Contentments ii. v. 123 For the brewing of the best march Beere..allow to a Hogs-head thereof a quarter of the best malt, well ground.
1660 J. Evelyn Let. 2 Apr. in R. Boyle Corr. (2001) I. 408 It is highly requisite, that the black be good, & well ground for otherwise the Impression will be nothing worth.
1732 Method learning to Draw 28 Take Vermillion well ground, and mix it with Ale-wort.
?1770 Adventures of Actor xvii. 240 In his pills nothing but fine powder of post, or some well-ground brick dust.
1825 Edinb. Jrnl. Sci. 2 150 When the solid substances are well ground and mixed, they are to be boiled in the oil.
1852 6th Ann. Rep. Board of Agric. Ohio 1851 111 This was a superior lot of flour, well ground.
1926 Farmers' Bull. (U.S. Dept. Agric.) (rev. ed.) No. 803. 20 Oats, corn, and peas, preferably well-ground, are suitable.
2000 S. E. Farrey & M. N. O'Hara 3 Bowls 198 Add the walnuts and process until well ground.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.c1425