Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- foundation or basis: He laid the groundwork for an international conference.
noun
- preliminary work as a foundation or basis
- the ground or background of a painting, etc
mid-15c., from ground (n.) + work (n.). Cf. Middle Dutch grontwerck, Dutch grondwerk, German grundwerk. Originally “the solid base on which a structure is built;” figurative sense is from 1550s.