ground
"break ground,"
1. to plow.
2. to begin excavation for a construction project.
3. to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
"break new ground,"
to do something that has not been done before.
"cut the ground from under someone's feet,"
to anticipate someone's action or argument and thus make it irrelevant or meaningless.
"get off the ground,"
informal. to make a beginning, esp one that is successful.
"meet someone on his own ground,"
to meet someone according to terms he has laid down himself.
"the high ground" or "the moral high ground,"
a position of moral or ethical superiority in a dispute.
"cover ground,"
1. to pass or travel over a certain area.
2. to make a certain amount of progress in dealing with a piece of work, subject, treatise, or the like:
He talked for two hours without covering much ground.
"cut the ground from under,"
to render (an argument, position, person, etc.) ineffective or invalid; refute:
It didn't require much effort to cut the ground from under that case.
"from the ground up,"
1. gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level:
She learned the business from the ground up.
2. extensively; thoroughly:
The professor knew his subject from the ground up.
3. entirely new or afresh:
The car has been redesigned from the ground up.
4. from the very beginning:
thoroughly built the resort from the ground up.
"into the ground,"
beyond what is necessary or tolerable; to exhaustion:
labored an issue into the ground. —Newsweek.
"gain ground,"
1. to make progress; advance.
2. to gain approval or acceptance:
The case for air-pollution control is gaining ground throughout the country.
"give ground,"
to yield to force or forceful argument; retreat:
The disarmament talks reached an impasse when neither side would give ground on inspection proposals.
"hold / stand one's ground,"
to maintain one's position; be steadfast:
The referee stood his ground, though his decision was hotly contested by the crowd.
"lose ground,"
1. to retreat or be forced back.
2. to lose one's advantage; suffer a reverse.
3. to wane in popularity or acceptance; begin to fail:
Our candidate is losing ground in industrial areas.
"on one's own ground,"
in an area or situation that one knows well.
"on the ground,"
at the place of interest or importance; actively engaged:
Minutes after the bank robbery reporters were on the ground to get the story.
"shift ground,"
to change position in an argument or situation.
"to ground,"
1. into a den, burrow, shelter, or the like:
a fox gone to ground.
2. into concealment or hiding:
Rather than take the witness stand, she went to ground in another country.
Origin:
1. before 900; (noun) Middle English grownd, grund, Old English grund; cognate with Dutch grond, German Grund; (verb) Middle English grundien, grownden “to set on a foundation, establish,” derivative of the noun. Dictionary 2: Old English grund; related to Old Norse grunn shallow, grunnr, grund plain, Old High German grunt. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of ground: Noun: before the 12th century. Verb: 13th century. Adjective: 1765. History and Etymology for ground: Noun and Verb: Middle English, from Old English grund; akin to Old High German grunt ground. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
1. to plow.
2. to begin excavation for a construction project.
3. to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
"break new ground,"
to do something that has not been done before.
"cut the ground from under someone's feet,"
to anticipate someone's action or argument and thus make it irrelevant or meaningless.
"get off the ground,"
informal. to make a beginning, esp one that is successful.
"meet someone on his own ground,"
to meet someone according to terms he has laid down himself.
"the high ground" or "the moral high ground,"
a position of moral or ethical superiority in a dispute.
"cover ground,"
1. to pass or travel over a certain area.
2. to make a certain amount of progress in dealing with a piece of work, subject, treatise, or the like:
He talked for two hours without covering much ground.
"cut the ground from under,"
to render (an argument, position, person, etc.) ineffective or invalid; refute:
It didn't require much effort to cut the ground from under that case.
"from the ground up,"
1. gradually from the most elementary level to the highest level:
She learned the business from the ground up.
2. extensively; thoroughly:
The professor knew his subject from the ground up.
3. entirely new or afresh:
The car has been redesigned from the ground up.
4. from the very beginning:
thoroughly built the resort from the ground up.
"into the ground,"
beyond what is necessary or tolerable; to exhaustion:
labored an issue into the ground. —Newsweek.
"gain ground,"
1. to make progress; advance.
2. to gain approval or acceptance:
The case for air-pollution control is gaining ground throughout the country.
"give ground,"
to yield to force or forceful argument; retreat:
The disarmament talks reached an impasse when neither side would give ground on inspection proposals.
"hold / stand one's ground,"
to maintain one's position; be steadfast:
The referee stood his ground, though his decision was hotly contested by the crowd.
"lose ground,"
1. to retreat or be forced back.
2. to lose one's advantage; suffer a reverse.
3. to wane in popularity or acceptance; begin to fail:
Our candidate is losing ground in industrial areas.
"on one's own ground,"
in an area or situation that one knows well.
"on the ground,"
at the place of interest or importance; actively engaged:
Minutes after the bank robbery reporters were on the ground to get the story.
"shift ground,"
to change position in an argument or situation.
"to ground,"
1. into a den, burrow, shelter, or the like:
a fox gone to ground.
2. into concealment or hiding:
Rather than take the witness stand, she went to ground in another country.
Origin:
1. before 900; (noun) Middle English grownd, grund, Old English grund; cognate with Dutch grond, German Grund; (verb) Middle English grundien, grownden “to set on a foundation, establish,” derivative of the noun. Dictionary 2: Old English grund; related to Old Norse grunn shallow, grunnr, grund plain, Old High German grunt. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of ground: Noun: before the 12th century. Verb: 13th century. Adjective: 1765. History and Etymology for ground: Noun and Verb: Middle English, from Old English grund; akin to Old High German grunt ground. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.