U

gain ground

noun

the solid surface of the earth; firm or dry land: to fall to the ground.
earth or soil: stony ground.
land having an indicated character: rising ground.
Often grounds. a tract of land appropriated to a special use: picnic grounds; a hunting ground.
Often grounds. the foundation or basis on which a belief or action rests; reason or cause: grounds for dismissal.
subject for discussion; topic: Sex education is forbidden ground in some school curricula.
rational or factual support for one’s position or attitude, as in a debate or argument: on firm ground; on shaky ground.
the main surface or background in painting, decorative work, lace, etc.
Fine Arts.
1. a coating of some substance serving as a surface for paint, ink, or other media in art: Lead white is a traditional ground for oil paintings.
2. ground color(def 2).
(in perception) the background in a visual field, contrasted with the figure.
Also called etching ground. an acid-resistant substance, composed of wax, gum, and resin in varying proportions, applied to the entire surface of an etching plate and through which the design is drawn with an etching needle.
grounds, dregs or sediment: coffee grounds.
grounds, the gardens, lawn, etc., surrounding and belonging to a building.
Electricity. a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.
Music. ground bass.
Nautical. the bottom of a body of water.
the earth’s solid or liquid surface; land or water.
Carpentry.
1. a strip of wood to which woodwork can be attached, set flush with the plaster finish of a room.
2. a strip of wood or length of corner bead used at an opening as a stop for plasterwork.

adjective

situated on or at, or adjacent to, the surface of the earth: a ground attack.
pertaining to the ground.
Military. operating on land: ground forces.

verb (used with object)

to lay or set on the ground.
to place on a foundation; fix firmly; settle or establish; found.
to instruct in elements or first principles: to ground students in science.
to furnish with a ground or background, as on decorative work.
to cover (wallpaper) with colors or other materials before printing.
Electricity. to establish a ground for (a circuit, device, etc.).
Nautical. to cause (a vessel) to run aground.
Aeronautics. to restrict (an aircraft or the like) to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc.
to forbid (a pilot) to fly because of bad health, failure to comply with safety regulations, or the like.
Informal. to put out of action or make unable to participate: The quarterback was grounded by a knee injury.
Informal. to restrict the activities, especially the social activities, of: I can’t go to the party—my parents have grounded me until my grades improve.

verb (used without object)

to come to or strike the ground.
Baseball.
1. to hit a ground ball.
2. to ground out.

Verb Phrases

ground out, Baseball. to be put out at first base after hitting a ground ball to the infield.

Idioms

break ground,
1. to plow.
2. to begin excavation for a construction project.
3. to begin upon or take preparatory measures for any undertaking.
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.
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.
into the ground, beyond a reasonable or necessary point: You’ve stated your case, and you needn’t run it into the ground.
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.
off the ground, Informal. into action or well under way: The play never got off the ground.
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.
suit down to the ground, to be perfectly satisfactory; please greatly: This climate suits me down to the ground.
take the ground, Nautical. to become grounded at low water.
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.

verb (used with object)

to get (something desired), especially as a result of one’s efforts: to gain possession of an object; to gain permission to enter a country.
to acquire as an increase or addition: to gain weight; to gain speed.
to obtain as a profit: He gained ten dollars by this deal.
to win; get in competition: to gain the prize.
to win (someone) to one’s own side or point of view; persuade (sometimes followed by over): to gain supporters.
(of a watch or clock) to run fast by (a specified amount): My watch gains six minutes a day.
to reach, especially by effort; get to; arrive at: to gain one’s destination.

verb (used without object)

to improve; make progress; advance: to gain in health after an illness.
to get nearer, as in pursuit (usually followed by on or upon): Our horse was gaining on the favorite at the far turn.
to draw away from or farther ahead of the other contestants in a race, one’s pursuers, etc. (usually followed by on or upon).
(of a watch or clock) to run fast.

noun

profit or advantage.
an increase or advance.
gains, profits or winnings.
the act of gaining; acquisition.
Electronics.
1. a measure of the increase in signal amplitude produced by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input.
2. the effectiveness of a directional antenna as compared with a standard, nondirectional one.
the volume control of a radio, phonograph, amplifier, etc.

Idioms

gain ground, to progress or advance, as in value, strength, or achievement: The company’s new products are gaining ground in suburban areas.
gain time, to arrange a postponement or delay for a particular purpose, especially by roundabout means.

n acronym for (in Canada)

Guaranteed Annual Income

noun

the land surface
earth or soilhe dug into the ground outside his house
(plural) the land around a dwelling house or other building
(sometimes plural) an area of land given over to a purposefootball ground; burial grounds
land having a particular characteristiclevel ground; high ground
matter for consideration or debate; field of research or inquirythe lecture was familiar ground to him; the report covered a lot of ground
a position or viewpoint, as in an argument or controversy (esp in the phrases give ground, hold, stand, or shift one’s ground)
position or advantage, as in a subject or competition (esp in the phrases gain ground, lose ground, etc)
(often plural) reason; justificationgrounds for complaint
arts
1. the prepared surface applied to the support of a painting, such as a wall, canvas, etc, to prevent it reacting with or absorbing the paint
2. the support of a painting
3. the background of a painting or main surface against which the other parts of a work of art appear superimposed
1. the first coat of paint applied to a surface
2. (as modifier)ground colour
the bottom of a river or the sea
(plural) sediment or dregs, esp from coffee
mainly British the floor of a room
cricket
1. the area from the popping crease back past the stumps, in which a batsman may legally stand
2. ground staff
See ground bass
a mesh or network supporting the main pattern of a piece of lace
electrical, US and Canadian
1. a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential
2. Also called: eartha terminal to which this connection is made
above ground alive
below ground dead and buried
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
to the ground or down to the ground British informal completely; absolutelyit suited him down to the ground
get off the ground informal to make a beginning, esp one that is successful
go to ground to go into hiding
into the ground beyond what is requisite or can be endured; to exhaustion
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
touch ground
1. (of a ship) to strike the sea bed
2. to arrive at something solid or stable after discussing or dealing with topics that are abstract or inconclusive
(modifier) situated on, living on, or used on the groundground frost; ground forces
(modifier) concerned with or operating on the ground, esp as distinct from in the airground crew; ground hostess
(modifier) (used in names of plants) low-growing and often trailing or spreading

verb

(tr) to put or place on the ground
(tr) to instruct in fundamentals
(tr) to provide a basis or foundation for; establish
(tr) to confine (an aircraft, pilot, etc) to the ground
(tr) informal to confine (a child) to the house as a punishment
the usual US word for earth (def. 16)
(tr) nautical to run (a vessel) aground
(tr) to cover (a surface) with a preparatory coat of paint
(intr) to hit or reach the ground

verb

the past tense and past participle of grind

adjective

having the surface finished, thickness reduced, or an edge sharpened by grinding
reduced to fine particles by grinding

verb

(tr) to acquire (something desirable); obtain
(tr) to win in competitionto gain the victory
to increase, improve, or advancethe car gained speed; the shares gained in value
(tr) to earn (a wage, living, etc)
(intr; usually foll by on or upon)
1. to get nearer (to) or catch up (on)
2. to get farther away (from)
(tr) (esp of ships) to get to; reachthe steamer gained port
(of a timepiece) to operate too fast, so as to indicate a time ahead of the true time or to run fast by a specified amountthis watch gains; it gains ten minutes a day
gain ground to make progress or obtain an advantage
gain time
1. to obtain extra time by a delay or postponement
2. (of a timepiece) to operate too fast

noun

something won, acquired, earned, etc; profit; advantage
an increase in size, amount, etc
the act of gaining; attainment; acquisition
Also called: amplification electronics the ratio of the output signal of an amplifier to the input signal, usually measured in decibels

noun

a notch, mortise, or groove, esp one cut to take the flap of a butt hinge

verb

(tr) to cut a gain or gains in

late 15c., from Middle French gain, from Old French gaaigne “gain, profit, advantage; booty; arable land” (12c.), from gaaignier “to gain” (see gain (v.)). The original French sense enfolded the notions of “profit from agriculture” and “booty, prey.” Implied earlier in Middle English gaignage (late 14c.) “profit from agriculture.”

Old English grund “bottom, foundation, ground, surface of the earth,” especially “bottom of the sea” (a sense preserved in run aground), from Proto-Germanic *grundus, which seems to have meant “deep place” (cf. Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish grund, Dutch grond, Old High German grunt, German Grund “ground, soil, bottom;” Old Norse grunn “a shallow place,” grund “field, plain,” grunnr “bottom”). No known cognates outside Germanic. Sense of “reason, motive” first attested c.1200; electrical sense is from 1870.

mid-13c., “to put on the ground, to strike down to the ground,” from ground (n.). Of ships, “to run into the ground,” from mid-15c. Meaning “to base” (an argument, sermon, etc.) is late 14c. Meaning “deny privileges” is 1940s, originally a punishment meted out to pilots (in which sense it is attested from 1930). Related: Grounded; grounding.

1520s, from Middle French gagner, from Old French gaaignier “to earn, gain; trade; capture, win,” also “work in the fields, cultivate land,” from Frankish *waidanjan “hunt, forage,” also “graze, pasture,” from Proto-Germanic *wartho “hunting ground” (cf. Old English waþ “hunting,” German Weide “pasture, pasturage,” Old Norse veiðr “hunting, catch of fish”), from PIE *weie- “to strive after, pursue with vigor, desire” (see venison). Related: Gained; gaining. To gain on “advance nearer” is from 1719. To gain ground (1620s) was originally military.

adj.

“reduced to fine particles by grinding,” 1765, past participle adjective from grind.

An increase in amount or degree.
Progress; advancement.

A connection between an electrical conductor and the Earth. Grounds are used to establish a common zero-voltage reference for electric devices in order to prevent potentially dangerous voltages from arising between them and other objects. Also called earth
The set of shared points in an electrical circuit at which the measured voltage is taken to be zero. The ground is usually connected directly to the power supply and acts as a common sink for current flowing through the components in the circuit.

Advance, make progress; also, win acceptance. For example, The new conservation policy is gaining ground among the voters. This expression alludes to a military advance in which an army literally takes territory from the enemy. Its figurative use dates from about 1800. For an antonym, see lose ground.

gain ground on or upon. Encroach on, advance at the expense of. For example, Door-to-door canvassing helped them gain ground on the opposition.

In addition to the idiom beginning with gain