1  definition  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
 
 
  {Ground  furze}  (Bot.),  a  low  slightly  thorny,  leguminous 
  shrub  ({Ononis  arvensis})  of  Europe  and  Central  Asia,;  -- 
  called  also  {rest-harrow}. 
 
  {Ground  game},  hares,  rabbits,  etc.,  as  distinguished  from 
  winged  game. 
 
  {Ground  hele}  (Bot.),  a  perennial  herb  ({Veronica 
  officinalis})  with  small  blue  flowers,  common  in  Europe 
  and  America,  formerly  thought  to  have  curative  properties. 
 
 
  {Ground  of  the  heavens}  (Astron.),  the  surface  of  any  part  of 
  the  celestial  sphere  upon  which  the  stars  may  be  regarded 
  as  projected. 
 
  {Ground  hemlock}  (Bot.),  the  yew  ({Taxus  baccata}  var. 
  Canadensisi)  of  eastern  North  America,  distinguished  from 
  that  of  Europe  by  its  low  straggling  stems. 
 
  {Ground  hog}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  The  woodchuck  or  American  marmot  ({Arctomys  monax}). 
  See  {Woodchuck}. 
  b  The  aardvark. 
 
  {Ground  hold}  (Naut.),  ground  tackle.  [Obs.]  --Spenser. 
 
  {Ground  ice},  ice  formed  at  the  bottom  of  a  body  of  water 
  before  it  forms  on  the  surface. 
 
  {Ground  ivy}.  (Bot.)  A  trailing  plant;  alehoof.  See  {Gill}. 
 
 
  {Ground  joist},  a  joist  for  a  basement  or  ground  floor;  a. 
  sleeper. 
 
  {Ground  lark}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  European  pipit.  See  {Pipit}. 
 
  {Ground  laurel}  (Bot.).  See  {Trailing  arbutus},  under 
  {Arbutus}. 
 
  {Ground  line}  (Descriptive  Geom.),  the  line  of  intersection 
  of  the  horizontal  and  vertical  planes  of  projection. 
 
  {Ground  liverwort}  (Bot.),  a  flowerless  plant  with  a  broad 
  flat  forking  thallus  and  the  fruit  raised  on  peduncled  and 
  radiated  receptacles  ({Marchantia  polymorpha}). 
 
  {Ground  mail},  in  Scotland,  the  fee  paid  for  interment  in  a 
  churchyard. 
 
  {Ground  mass}  (Geol.),  the  fine-grained  or  glassy  base  of  a 
  rock,  in  which  distinct  crystals  of  its  constituents  are 
  embedded. 
 
  {Ground  parrakeet}  (Zo["o]l.),  one  of  several  Australian 
  parrakeets,  of  the  genera  {Callipsittacus}  and 
  {Geopsittacus},  which  live  mainly  upon  the  ground. 
 
  {Ground  pearl}  (Zo["o]l.),  an  insect  of  the  family 
  {Coccid[ae]}  ({Margarodes  formicarum}),  found  in  ants' 
  nests  in  the  Bahamas,  and  having  a  shelly  covering.  They 
  are  strung  like  beads,  and  made  into  necklaces  by  the 
  natives. 
 
  {Ground  pig}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  burrowing,  African  rodent 
  ({Aulacodus  Swinderianus})  about  two  feet  long,  allied  to 
  the  porcupines  but  with  harsh,  bristly  hair,  and  no 
  spines;  --  called  also  {ground  rat}. 
 
  {Ground  pigeon}  (Zo["o]l.),  one  of  numerous  species  of 
  pigeons  which  live  largely  upon  the  ground,  as  the 
  tooth-billed  pigeon  ({Didunculus  strigirostris}),  of  the 
  Samoan  Islands,  and  the  crowned  pigeon,  or  goura.  See 
  {Goura},  and  {Ground  dove}  (above). 
 
  {Ground  pine}.  (Bot.) 
  a  A  blue-flowered  herb  of  the  genus  {Ajuga}  ({A. 
  Cham[ae]pitys}),  formerly  included  in  the  genus 
  {Teucrium}  or  germander,  and  named  from  its  resinous 
  smell.  --Sir  J.  Hill. 
  b  A  long,  creeping,  evergreen  plant  of  the  genus 
  {Lycopodium}  ({L.  clavatum});  --  called  also  {club 
  moss}. 
  c  A  tree-shaped  evergreen  plant  about  eight  inches  in 
  height,  of  the  same  genus  ({L.  dendroideum})  found  in 
  moist,  dark  woods  in  the  northern  part  of  the  United 
  States.  --Gray. 
 
  {Ground  plan}  (Arch.),  a  plan  of  the  ground  floor  of  any 
  building,  or  of  any  floor,  as  distinguished  from  an 
  elevation  or  perpendicular  section. 
 
  {Ground  plane},  the  horizontal  plane  of  projection  in 
  perspective  drawing. 
 
  {Ground  plate}. 
  a  (Arch.)  One  of  the  chief  pieces  of  framing  of  a 
  building;  a  timber  laid  horizontally  on  or  near  the 
  ground  to  support  the  uprights;  a  ground  sill  or 
  groundsel. 
  b  (Railroads)  A  bed  plate  for  sleepers  or  ties;  a 
  mudsill. 
  c  (Teleg.)  A  metallic  plate  buried  in  the  earth  to 
  conduct  the  electric  current  thereto.  Connection  to 
  the  pipes  of  a  gas  or  water  main  is  usual  in  cities. 
  --Knight. 
 
  {Ground  plot},  the  ground  upon  which  any  structure  is 
  erected;  hence  any  basis  or  foundation;  also  a  ground 
  plan 
 
  {Ground  plum}  (Bot.),  a  leguminous  plant  ({Astragalus 
  caryocarpus})  occurring  from  the  Saskatchewan  to  Texas, 
  and  having  a  succulent  plum-shaped  pod. 
 
  {Ground  rat}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Ground  pig}  (above). 
 
  {Ground  rent},  rent  paid  for  the  privilege  of  building  on 
  another  man's  land. 
 
  {Ground  robin}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Chewink}. 
 
  {Ground  room},  a  room  on  the  ground  floor;  a  lower  room 
  --Tatler. 
 
  {Ground  sea},  the  West  Indian  name  for  a  swell  of  the  ocean, 
  which  occurs  in  calm  weather  and  without  obvious  cause 
  breaking  on  the  shore  in  heavy  roaring  billows;  --  called 
  also  {rollers},  and  in  Jamaica,  {the  North  sea}. 
 
  {Ground  sill}.  See  {Ground  plate}  a  (above). 
 
  {Ground  snake}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  small  burrowing  American  snake 
  ({Celuta  am[oe]na}).  It  is  salmon  colored,  and  has  a  blunt 
  tail. 
 
  {Ground  squirrel}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  One  of  numerous  species  of  burrowing  rodents  of  the 
  genera  {Tamias}  and  {Spermophilus},  having  cheek 
  pouches.  The  former  genus  includes  the  Eastern 
  striped  squirrel  or  chipmunk  and  some  allied  Western 
  species;  the  latter  includes  the  prairie  squirrel  or 
  striped  gopher,  the  gray  gopher,  and  many  allied 
  Western  species.  See  {Chipmunk},  and  {Gopher}. 
  b  Any  species  of  the  African  genus  {Xerus},  allied  to 
  {Tamias}. 
 
  {Ground  story}.  Same  as  {Ground  floor}  (above). 
 
  {Ground  substance}  (Anat.),  the  intercellular  substance,  or 
  matrix,  of  tissues. 
 
  {Ground  swell}. 
  a  (Bot.)  The  plant  groundsel.  [Obs.]  --Holland. 
  b  A  broad,  deep  swell  or  undulation  of  the  ocean, 
  caused  by  a  long  continued  gale,  and  felt  even  at  a 
  remote  distance  after  the  gale  has  ceased. 
 
  {Ground  table}.  (Arch.)  See  Earth  table,  under  Earth. 
 
  {Ground  tackle}  (Naut.),  the  tackle  necessary  to  secure  a 
  vessel  at  anchor.  --Totten. 
 
  {Ground  thrush}  (Zo["o]l.),  one  of  numerous  species  of 
  bright-colored  Oriental  birds  of  the  family  {Pittid[ae]}. 
  See  {Pitta}. 
 
  {Ground  tier}. 
  a  The  lowest  tier  of  water  casks  in  a  vessel's  hold 
  --Totten. 
  b  The  lowest  line  of  articles  of  any  kind  stowed  in  a 
  vessel's  hold 
  c  The  lowest  range  of  boxes  in  a  theater. 
 
  {Ground  timbers}  (Shipbuilding)  the  timbers  which  lie  on  the 
  keel  and  are  bolted  to  the  keelson;  floor  timbers. 
  --Knight. 
 
  {Ground  tit}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Ground  wren}  (below). 
 
  {Ground  wheel},  that  wheel  of  a  harvester,  mowing  machine, 
  etc.,  which  rolling  on  the  ground,  drives  the  mechanism. 
 
 
  {Ground  wren}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  small  California  bird  ({Cham[ae]a 
  fasciata})  allied  to  the  wrens  and  titmice.  It  inhabits 
  the  arid  plains.  Called  also  {ground  tit},  and  {wren  tit}. 
 
 
  {To  bite  the  ground},  {To  break  ground}.  See  under  {Bite}, 
  {Break}. 
 
  {To  come  to  the  ground},  {To  fall  to  the  ground},  to  come  to 
  nothing;  to  fail  to  miscarry. 
 
  {To  gain  ground}. 
  a  To  advance;  to  proceed  forward  in  conflict;  as  an 
  army  in  battle  gains  ground. 
  b  To  obtain  an  advantage;  to  have  some  success;  as  the 
  army  gains  ground  on  the  enemy. 
  c  To  gain  credit;  to  become  more  prosperous  or 
  influential. 
 
  {To  get  or  To  gather},  {ground},  to  gain  ground.  [R.] 
  ``Evening  mist  .  .  .  gathers  ground  fast.''  --Milton. 
 
  There  is  no  way  for  duty  to  prevail,  and  get  ground 
  of  them  but  by  bidding  higher.  --South. 
 
  {To  give  ground},  to  recede;  to  yield  advantage. 
 
  These  nine  .  .  .  began  to  give  me  ground.  --Shak. 
 
  {To  lose  ground},  to  retire;  to  retreat;  to  withdraw  from  the 
  position  taken  hence  to  lose  advantage;  to  lose  credit 
  or  reputation;  to  decline 
 
  {To  stand  one's  ground},  to  stand  firm;  to  resist  attack  or 
  encroachment.  --Atterbury. 
 
  {To  take  the  ground}  to  touch  bottom  or  become  stranded;  -- 
  said  of  a  ship. 

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