break ground see under ground¹

break in

1. (also break) to tame or accustom (an animal) to obedience
2. To make (shoes, etc) less stiff by use

break in, in on or into

1. To enter violently
2. To interpose abruptly

breaking and entering

Housebreaking, illegal entry into property

break into

1. To begin to use up or spend (something held in reserve, a large denomination note, etc)
2. To begin an activity suddenly, eg song, laughter

break it down (Aust inf)

Stop it!

break loose or free

1. To extricate oneself forcibly
2. To break through all restraint

break no squares

To make no difference, do no harm, matter little

break off

1. To detach by breaking
2. To put an abrupt end to
3. To leave off or stop abruptly

break one's mind (obsolete)

To communicate one's thoughts to someone

break out

1. To appear suddenly
2. To break through all restraint
3. To escape (breakˈout noun)
4. To become active suddenly
5. To become covered with (a rash, etc; with in)

break service or break someone's serve (tennis, etc)

To win a game in which one's opponent is serving

break sheer

(of a ship riding at anchor) to be forced by wind or tide out of a position clear of the anchor

break someone's heart

To crush someone emotionally, esp by failing them in love

break the balls (or simply break)

1. To open the game by striking one of the red balls (snooker)
2. To open the game by striking the red ball or giving a miss, or to continue the game this way when a similar position occurs (billiards)

break the ice (figurative)

To get through first difficulties, esp restraint on first meeting

break through

To make a breakthrough

break up

1. To break open
2. To break in pieces
3. To go to pieces
4. To put an end to
5. To disperse, to part
6. To end a relationship
7. (of a school) to close for the holidays
8. To dig or plough up
9. To disconcert or upset (informal)
10. To make helpless with laughter (informal)

break upon the wheel (historical)

To punish by stretching on a wheel and breaking the bones

break wind

To let out flatulence from the bowels

break with

1. To cease relations with, esp to quarrel with
2. To cease adherence to (tradition, a habit)

make a break for

To bolt towards

ground¹ /grownd/

noun

1. The solid surface of the earth
2. A portion of the earth's surface
3. Land
4. Soil
5. The floor, etc
6. The solid land underlying an area of water (nautical)
7. Earth (elec; N American)
8. Position
9. An area of land or sea associated with some activity (such as football ground, playground, battleground, fishing ground)
10. Distance covered or to be covered
11. Matters to be dealt with
12. That on which something is raised (lit or figurative)
13. A foundation
14. Sufficient reason
15. An advantage
16. The bottom, esp sea-bottom (obsolete)
17. The surface on which a work is represented (art)
18. The background in a painting
19. A first coat of paint or colour
20. Surrounding rock (mining)
21. The space behind the popping crease with which the batsman must be in touch by bat or person if he is not to be stumped or run out (cricket)
22. Short for ground-bass below
23. (in pl) an area of land attached to or surrounding a building
24. (in pl) dregs or sediment (eg of coffee)
25. (in pl) the basis of justification

transitive verb

1. To fix on a foundation or principle
2. To put or rest on the ground
3. To cause to run aground
4. To instruct in first principles
5. To cover with a preparatory layer or coating, as a basis for painting, etching, etc
6. To earth (elec; N American)
7. To keep on the ground, prevent from flying (aeronautics)
8. To suspend from usual activity (eg as a punishment)

intransitive verb

1. To come to the ground
2. To strike the sea-bottom, etc and remain fixed

adjective

1. Of, relating to, situated or operating on or near the ground
2. Living on or in the ground
3. Low-growing

groundˈage noun

A charge on a ship in port

groundˈed adjective

1. Positioned on the ground
2. In control of one's emotions, rational
3. Remaining humble and down to earth in spite of having achieved success
4. (of a child) forbidden to go out to meet friends

groundˈedly adverb

On good grounds

groundˈer noun

1. Someone who, or something that, grounds
2. A ball that keeps low

groundˈing noun

1. A foundation
2. A sound general knowledge of a subject
3. The background of embroidery, etc
4. The act or process of preparing or laying a ground
5. The act of laying or of running aground
6. In bioenergetics, the concept of bodily contact, esp through the feet, with the earth

groundˈless adjective

Without ground, foundation or reason

groundˈlessly adverb

groundˈlessness noun

groundˈling noun

1. A fish that keeps near the bottom of the water, esp the spinous loach
2. A low-growing or creeping plant
3. A person on the ground in contrast to one in an aircraft, etc
4. Formerly, a spectator in the pit of a theatre, and hence a person of the common herd

adjective (Lamb, etc)

Base

groundˈ-angling noun

Fishing without a float, with a weight placed a few inches from the hook, bottom-fishing

ground annual noun (Scots law)

An annual payment forming a burden on land

groundˈ-ash noun

1. A sapling of ash
2. A stick made of an ash sapling

groundˈbait noun

Bait dropped to the bottom to attract fish to a general area (also figurative)

groundˈ-bass noun (music)

A bass part constantly repeated with varying melody and harmony

groundˈ-beetle noun

Any beetle of the Carabidae, a family related to the tiger beetles

groundˈbreaking noun (esp US)

The breaking of ground at the beginning of a construction project

adjective

Innovative, breaking new ground

groundˈburst noun

The explosion of a bomb on the ground (as opposed to in the air)

ground cherry noun

1. Any of the European dwarf cherries
2. Any of several plants of the genus Physalis, also called husk-tomato, Cape gooseberry, etc
3. The fruit of these plants

ground control noun

The control, by information radioed from a ground installation, of aircraft or spacecraft

ground controller noun

ground cover noun

1. Low plants and shrubs growing among the trees in a forest
2. Various low herbaceous plants used to cover an area instead of grass

ground crew see ground staff below.

groundˈ-cuckoo noun

A name for several ground-running birds of the cuckoo family, such as the roadrunner and the coucal

groundˈ-dove or groundˈ-pigeon noun

Any of various small American pigeons that spend much of their time on the ground

ground effect noun

The extra aerodynamic lift, exploited by hovercraft, etc and affecting aircraft flying near the ground, caused by the cushion of trapped air beneath the vehicle

ground elder noun

Another name for goutweed

groundˈ-feeder noun

A fish that feeds at the bottom

ground floor or ground storey noun

The floor on or near a level with the ground

ground frost noun

1. Frost on the surface of the ground
2. A temperature of 0ºC or less registered on a horizontal thermometer in contact with a grass surface

ground game noun

Hares, rabbits, etc, as distinguished from winged game

groundˈhog noun

1. The woodchuck
2. The aardvark

Groundhog Day noun

1. (in the USA and Canada) 2 February, supposed to mark the end of winter if a groundhog emerging from hibernation on that day does not see its shadow
2. A day when things seem to happen in exactly the same way as on the previous day (informal)

groundˈ-hold noun (Spenser and nautical)

Ground tackle

groundˈhopper noun

1. A small insect of the family Tetrigidae
2. A football supporter who travels to see games at as many different stadiums as possible (informal)

ground ice noun

The ice formed at the bottom of a body of water

ground ivy noun

A British labiate creeping plant (genus Nepeta) whose leaves when the edges curl become ivy-like

ground loop noun

An abrupt, uncontrolled movement of an aircraft while on the ground

ground mail or grund mail noun (Scot)

Payment for right of burial

groundman see groundsman below.

groundˈmass noun (geology)

The fine-grained part of an igneous rock, glassy or minutely crystalline, in which the larger crystals are embedded

ground moraine noun

A mass of mud, sand and stones dragged along under a glacier or ice-sheet

groundˈnut noun

1. The peanut or monkey nut (genus Arachis)
2. The earth-nut

ground oak noun

1. A sapling of oak
2. Various species of Teucrium

groundˈ-officer noun

An officer in charge of the grounds of an estate

ground-pigeon see ground-dove above.

ground pine noun

1. A small Eurasian plant (Ajuga chamaepitys) with yellow flowers
2. A N American club moss (Lycopodium obscurum)

ground plan noun

1. A plan of the horizontal section of the lowest or ground storey of a building
2. A first plan, general outline

ground plate noun

The bottom horizontal timber to which the frame of a building is secured

groundˈplot noun

1. The plot of ground on which a building stands
2. A method of calculating the position of an aircraft by relating the ground speed and time on course to the starting position

ground-position indicator noun

An instrument which continuously displays the dead-reckoning position of an aircraft

ground provisions plural noun (W Indies)

Starchy vegetables such as breadfruit and sweet potatoes

groundˈprox noun

A device, fitted to large passenger aircraft, which warns the pilot when altitude falls below a given level (ground proximity warning system)

ground rent noun

Rent paid to a landowner for the right to the use of the ground for a specified term, usually 99 years in England

groundˈ-robin noun

The chewink

ground rule noun

1. A basic rule of procedure
2. A modifying (sports) rule for a particular place or circumstance

ground run noun

The distance that an aircraft travels down the runway before lift-off or after touching down before reaching a stop

groundˈsel, groundˈsill or (obsolete) groundˈsell noun

The lowest timber of a structure, a ground plate, sleeper or soleplate

groundˈsheet noun

A waterproof sheet spread on the ground in a tent, etc

groundskeeper see groundsman below.

groundˈ-sloth noun

A large extinct ground-dwelling sloth

groundsˈman or sometimes groundˈman noun

1. A person whose job is to take care of a cricket ground or a sportsfield, etc (also (US) groundsˈkeeper)
2. An aerodrome mechanic

groundˈspeed noun (aeronautics)

The speed of an aircraft relative to the ground

ground squirrel noun

The chipmunk or hackee, or any of several burrowing rodents

ground staff noun

1. Aircraft mechanics, etc, whose work is on the ground (also ground crew)
2. A paid staff of players (cricket)
3. People employed to look after a sportsfield

ground state noun

The state of a nuclear system, atoms, etc when at their lowest (or normal) energy

ground storey see ground floor above.

ground stroke noun (tennis)

A return played after the ball has bounced

groundˈswell noun

1. A broad, deep undulation of the ocean caused by a distant gale or earthquake
2. A gathering movement, as of public or political opinion or feeling, which is evident although the cause or leader is not known

ground tackle noun

Tackle for securing a vessel at anchor

groundˈ-to-airˈ adjective

(of a missile) aimed and fired from the ground at a target in the air

ground water noun

Water naturally in the subsoil or occupying space in rocks

ground wave noun

A radio wave which passes directly between a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna

groundˈwork noun

1. That which forms the ground or foundation of anything
2. The basis
3. Essential preparatory work
4. The first principle
5. The ground of painting (art)

ground zero noun

1. The point on the ground directly under the explosion of a nuclear weapon in the air
2. A completely new beginning (figurative)

break ground

1. To begin working untouched ground
2. To take the first step in any project

break new (or fresh) ground

To be innovative

cover a lot of ground

To make good progress

cover the ground

To treat a topic, etc adequately

cut or take the ground from under someone or from under someone's feet

To anticipate someone's arguments or actions and destroy their force

down to the ground see under down¹

fall to the ground

To come to nothing

forbidden ground

An unmentionable topic

gain ground

1. To advance
2. To become more widely influential
3. To spread

give ground

To fall back, retreat (lit and figurative)

go to ground

1. (of an animal) to enter its burrow, hole, etc
2. To go into hiding

hold or stand one's ground

To stand firm

home ground

Familiar territory

into the ground

To the point of exhaustion

(let in) on the ground floor

(to admit) on the same terms as the original promoters, or at the start (of a business venture, etc)

lose ground

1. To fall back
2. To decline in influence, etc

off the ground

Started, under way

on firm (or shaky) ground

In a strong (or weak) position

on one's own (or home) ground

In circumstances with which one is familiar

on the ground

In the world of practical reality

prepare the ground

To ease the way for, facilitate the progress of, something (with for)

run to ground

To hunt out, track down

shift one's ground

To change one's standpoint in a situation or argument