ground-n; 16 Senses

Sense Number 1: land, surface of the earth

Commentary: GROUND[+location][+surface][+solid][+land]
NOTE: refers to a place, not soil or dirt (Sense 3)
NOTE: naturally answers the question 'where'

Examples:
The ground shook violently from the earthquake.
All the planes are on the ground due to the ice storm.
John dropped the logs on the ground outside the back door of the cabin.
They watched the atomic blast several miles away from ground zero.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 2: basis, rationale, justification for something

Commentary: GROUND[+relation][+rationale]

Examples:
I think we have some grounds for optimism.
Critics argued there were not sufficient grounds to warrant an invasion.
His theory seems to be on pretty solid ground.
They called for a retrial on the grounds of new evidence.
But was it grounds for divorce?
The two parties could find no common ground during the negotiations.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2, 4

Sense Number 3: soil substance, dirt, earth

Commentary: GROUND[+entity][+substance][+soil]
NOTE: refers to stuff, substance, not a location (Sense 1)
NOTE: naturally answers the question 'what'

Examples:
The ground is a mass of slippery mud so be careful as you walk.
This ground has too much clay to grow good crops.
They broke ground for the new hospital at a ceremony this morning.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3, 7

Sense Number 4: contested territory, a position fought for

Commentary: GROUND[+location][+territory][+contested][+concrete/+abstract] [+state][+competitive]

Examples:
Our football team regained some ground during that last play.
The patient was losing ground with each round of chemotherapy.
The competition has been gaining ground over the past few years.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 5

Sense Number 5: the backdrop of a figure, back area of a visual scene

Commentary: GROUND[+location][+backdrop][+scene]

Examples:
The red figure is hard to see against that orange ground.
I like the picture of Mary in a blue dress set in a ground of wildflowers.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 6, 8

Sense Number 6: an electrical connection between conductor and earth

Commentary: GROUND[+location][+earth] [+relation][+connection][+electrical][+conductor][+earth]

Examples:
Run this wire to ground.
If there is no ground to this connection, you could get a shock.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 9

Sense Number 7: flat surface prepped for painting or decoration

Commentary: GROUND[+form][+surface][+flat][+prepped]

Examples:
The painter began sketching in the figures on the ground of his fresco.
Her watercolors always start with a white-washed ground.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 10

Sense Number 8: solid particles, e..g., coffee

Commentary: GROUND[+entity][+substance][+particles][+solid][+coffee/+shells]
NOTE: always in the plural

Examples:
I dumped the coffee grounds into the trash.
The grounds of crushed sea shells sparkled in the yellow sand.

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 6

Sense Number 9: primer paint, undercoat

Commentary: GROUND[+entity][+substance][+paint][+primer]

Examples:
An oil ground must dry completely before applying a latex topcoat.
The painters used a latex ground on the house instead of an oil one.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 11

Sense Number 10: property adjoining, surrounding a house, buildings

Commentary: GROUND[+location][+property][+adjoining][+building][+house/+school/+business]
NOTE: often in the plural

Examples:
We strolled across the expansive grounds of the old estate.
The man was escorted off the grounds by a security officer.
The boys were caught smoking cigarettes on school grounds. (property owned by school)

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 1d

Sense Number 11: location designated for a specific purpose

Commentary: GROUND[+location][+designated][+purpose][+specific]
NOTE: often in the plural

Examples:
A horse broke loose in the parade grounds.
The government has closed these fishing grounds indefinitely.
These slums have become a breeding ground for terrorists. (metaphoric extension)
This bar is a hunting ground for single 20-somethings. (metaphoric extension)

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 4b

Sense Number 12: area of knowledge, subject matter

Commentary: GROUND[+entity][+symbolic][+domain][+knowledge]

Examples:
The professor covered a lot of ground in today's lecture.
Third-year coursed typically cover less ground but go more into depth.
He shifted the argument onto theoretical grounds more familiar to physicists.

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 2

Sense Number 13: beyond what is necessary or reasonable

Commentary: Idiom: into_the_ground

Examples:
Politicians have debated the issue into the ground.
Let's don't beat this question into the ground.

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom_1

Sense Number 14: anew, starting at the beginning

Commentary: Idiom: from_the_ground_up

Examples:
He'll be replacing staff in every department, from the ground up.
The architect has totally reworked the building's design from the ground up.

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom_2

Sense Number 15: to begin, to initiate something

Commentary: Idiom: off_the_ground

Examples:
That project never got off the ground.
This funding helped get their initiative off the ground.

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom_3

Sense Number 16: to hide or burrow

Commentary: Idiom: to_ground

Examples:
The fox went to ground.
The robbers made a run for it and probably went to ground somewhere.

Mappings:
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: Idiom_4