grounds
/ɡɹaʊndz/ · ground·s
noun
- The surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sky or water or underground. Look, I found a ten dollar bill on the ground!
- Terrain. The hikers had to navigate through the dense grounds of the forest.
- Soil, earth. The fox escaped from the hounds by going to ground.
verb
- To connect (an electrical conductor or device) to a ground. The electrician grounded the wire to prevent shock.
- To punish, especially a child or teenager, by forcing him/her to stay at home and/or give up certain privileges. Eric, you are grounded until further notice for lying to us about where you were last night!
- To forbid (an aircraft or pilot) to fly. Because of the bad weather, all flights were grounded.
Synonyms
Did you know? The phrase 'to go to ground' originated in hunting, where a fox would hide in its underground burrow to escape its pursuers.