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rollers |
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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