ground

noun

/ɡraʊnd/

Idioms

surface of earth

(often the ground)

[uncountable] the solid surface of the earth地；地面

on the ground I found her lying on the ground.我发现她躺在地上。
to the ground He fell to the ground, crying out in pain.他跌倒在地，疼得大叫。
above (the) ground The adult insects live above ground.成虫生活在地表。
The helicopter hovered a couple of hundred metres above the ground.直升机在距地面数百米的高度盘旋。
below (the) ground The library has four levels below ground and seven above.图书馆有地下四层和地上七层。
Most of the monkey's food is found at ground level.猴子的食物大多可在地面找到。

Synonyms floorfloorground ▪ land ▪ earthThese are all words for the surface that you walk on.floor the surface of a room that you walk on:

She was sitting on the floor watching TV.她坐在地板上看电视。

ground (often the ground) the solid surface of the earth that you walk on:

I found her lying on the ground.我发现她躺在地上。
The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.火箭离开地面几秒钟便坠毁了。

land the surface of the earth that is not sea:

It was good to be back on dry land again.回到陆地上真好。
They fought both at sea and on land.他们在海上和陆上都打过仗。

earth (often the earth) the solid surface of the world that is made of rock, soil, sand, etc:

You could feel the earth shake as the truck came closer.卡车开近时会感觉到地面在震动。

ground, land or earth?Ground is the normal word for the solid surface that you walk on when you are not in a building or vehicle. You can use earth if you want to draw attention to the rock, soil etc. that the ground is made of. Land is only used when you want to contrast it with the sea: the land beneath our feet • feel the land shake • sight ground/earth • travel by ground/earth Patterns

on/under the floor/ground/earth
bare floor/ground/earth
to drop/fall to the floor/the ground/(the) earth
to reach the floor/the ground/land

Extra Examples

He sat down on the ground.他坐在地上。
Her eyes searched the ground.她用目光搜寻地面。
The helicopter burst into flames when it hit the ground.直升机撞到地面后燃起了大火。
The plane was so overloaded it couldn't leave the ground.飞机严重超载，无法起飞。
The horse pawed the ground impatiently.那匹马焦躁地用蹄子刨地。
The roots may spread as far below ground as does the foliage above ground.地上的枝叶有多高，地下的根就可能有多深。
The town stands on high ground and is not prone to flooding.这个镇地处高地，不易被淹。
The tunnel goes deep under the ground.隧道在地下很深的地方。
The window is just above ground level.窗户紧贴着地面。
Thunder shook the ground.惊雷撼动了大地。
a hole in the ground地上的洞
the broken branches which littered the ground散落在地上的断树枝
It was buried three metres below ground.它埋在地下3米处。
Her feet don't reach the ground when she sits down.她坐下时脚够不到地。
The rope barely reached the ground below.绳子勉强到达下面的地面。
The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.火箭离开地面几秒钟便坠毁了。
The plant grows to about two feet above ground.这种植物的地面高度约有2英尺。
The ground fell away to the left of the road.路面向左侧倾斜。
Most of the animals' food is found at ground level.这些动物的食物大多可在地面找到。

Topics Geographya2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

firm
hard
solid
…

verb + ground

fall to
hit
strike
…

ground + noun

level
forces
troops
…

phrases

the ground beneath somebody’s feet

preposition

above ground
below ground
in the ground
…

[uncountable] (especially in noun compounds) used to describe activities that take place on the ground, not in the air or at sea地面上的；陆地上的

Ground forces were deployed in the area.该地区部署了地面部队。
the deployment of ground troops地面部队的部署
a ground and air attack地面和空中攻击
on the ground He called for more troops on the ground.他呼吁在地面部署更多部队。

area of land

[uncountable] an area of open land开阔地；空旷地

The kids were playing on waste ground behind the school.孩子们在学校后面的荒地上玩耍。
We found a patch of open ground in the middle of the woods.我们在树林中发现了一块开阔地。
There was a small patch of ground at the side of the cottage.村舍旁边有一小片土地。
They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.他们驶过数英里崎岖不平、多石的土地。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

high
low
open
…

… of ground

patch
piece

[countable] (often in compounds) an area of land that is used for a particular purpose, activity or sport（特定用途的）场地

a football/cricket ground足球场；板球场
The atmosphere inside the ground was electric.球场上的气氛紧张激烈。

Synonyms landlandlot ▪ ground ▪ space ▪ plotThese words all mean an area of land that is used for a particular purpose.land an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:

agricultural land农业用地

lot (North American English) a piece of land that is used or intended for a particular purpose:

building lots建筑用地
a parking lot停车场

ground an area of land that is used for a particular purpose :

The kids were playing on waste ground near the school.孩子们在学校附近的荒地玩耍。
the site of an ancient burial ground古代墓地遗址

land, lot or ground?Land is used for large areas of open land in the country, especially when it is used for farming. A lot is often a smaller piece of land in a town or city, especially one intended for building or parking on. Ground is any area of open land; a ground is an area of land designed or used for a particular purpose or activity.space a large area of land that has no buildings on it:

The city has plenty of open space.这座城市有很多开阔的空地。
the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies加拿大一片片广袤的草原

plot a small piece of land used or intended for a particular purpose:

She bought a small plot of land to build a house.她买了一小块地盖房子。
a vegetable plot一块菜圃

lot or plot?Either a lot or a plot can be used for building on. Only a plot can also be used for growing vegetables or burying people.Patterns

an open space
open/empty/vacant/waste/derelict land/ground
a/an empty/vacant lot/plot

see also breeding ground, burial ground, dumping ground, home ground, hunting ground, parade ground, recreation ground, stamping ground, testing ground, training ground

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

cricket
football
rugby
…

preposition

at a/the ground
inside a/the ground

grounds

[plural] a large area of land or sea that is used for a particular purpose（某种用途的）地域，水域

fishing grounds 渔场
feeding grounds for birds禽类饲养场

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

burial
dumping
camp
…

preposition

at a/the ground
in a/the ground

soil

[uncountable] soil on the surface of the earth土；土地；土壤

fertile ground for planting crops种植农作物的肥沃土壤
Prepare the ground before you plant anything.在种植任何东西之前先准备好地面。
in/into the ground You can sow the seeds directly into the ground.种子可以直接播种到地里。
The car got stuck in the muddy ground.汽车陷到泥地里了。

Synonyms soilsoilmud ▪ dust ▪ clay ▪ land ▪ earth ▪ dirt ▪ groundThese are all words for the top layer of the earth in which plants grow.soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow:

Plant the seedlings in damp soil.把幼苗种在湿润的土壤里。

mud wet soil that is soft and sticky:

The car wheels got stuck in the mud.汽车轮子陷到泥里去了。

dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc:

A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off.卡车起动时扬起一片灰尘。

clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks:

The tiles are made of clay.这些砖是用陶土制成的。

land an area of ground, especially of a particular type:

an area of rich, fertile land土地富饶肥沃的地域

earth the substance that plants grow in Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening: She put some earth into the pot. dirt (especially North American English) soil, especially loose soil:

Pack the dirt firmly around the plants.将植物周围的土培实。

ground an area of soil:

The car got stuck in the muddy ground.汽车陷到泥地里了。
They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.他们驶过数英里崎岖不平、多石的土地。

Ground is not used for loose soil: a handful of dry ground Patterns

good/rich soil/land/earth
fertile/infertile soil/land/ground
to dig the soil/mud/clay/land/earth/ground
to cultivate the soil/land/ground

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

firm
hard
solid
…

verb + ground

fall to
hit
strike
…

ground + noun

level
forces
troops
…

phrases

the ground beneath somebody’s feet

preposition

above ground
below ground
in the ground
…

gardens

grounds

[plural] the land or gardens around a large building（大建筑物周围的）场地，庭院，花园

the hospital grounds医院的院子
We had a guided tour of the house and grounds.我们在导游的带领下参观了房子和庭院。
The house has extensive grounds.这栋房子有宽敞的庭院。

Extra Examples

Many estate workers lived in cottages in the grounds of the castle.许多庄园工人住在城堡周围的村舍里。
She lived in the grounds of the castle.她住在城堡的院子里。
The doctor's office is on the grounds of the hospital.医生的办公室在医院的庭院中。
The palace is set in extensive grounds.宫殿位于庞大的庭院中。
The boys were playing in the school grounds after hours.放学后，男孩们在学校操场上玩耍。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

extensive
large
castle
…

verb + grounds

be set in
have
cross
…

preposition

in the grounds (of)
on the grounds (of)

area of knowledge/ideas

[uncountable] an area of interest, knowledge or ideas（兴趣、知识或思想的）范围，领域

He managed to cover a lot of ground in a short talk.他在简短的谈话中涵盖了许多领域。
We had to go over the same ground (= talk about the same things again) in class the next day.我们得在第二天的课上继续讨论同样的话题。
on… ground I thought I was on safe ground (= not likely to offend or upset somebody) talking about music.我原以为我谈论音乐不会冒犯任何人。
You're on dangerous ground (= likely to offend or upset somebody) if you criticize his family.你要是批评他的家人可就惹麻烦了。
Legal scholars say the president is on shaky ground.法律学者说，总统的说法站不住脚。
He felt he was back on familiar ground.他感觉自己又回到了熟悉的地方。
ground for something Paris in the 1920s was fertile ground for artistic experimentation.20 世纪 20 年代的巴黎是艺术实验的沃土。

see also common ground, high ground, middle ground

Extra Examples

He knew he was on dangerous ground talking about money.他知道谈到钱的问题时，就有可能会冒犯他人。
I was on more familiar ground now that we were talking about our own system.我对此较为熟悉，因为我们在谈论我们自己的体系。
I apologize if I'm going over old ground.如果我又谈到了老本行，那么非常抱歉。
Legally, we're on very shaky ground.从法律上说，我们未必站得住脚。
Several researchers have published articles covering this ground.几位研究者已经发表了涉及这一领域的文章。
We just seem to be going over the same ground that we covered last year.我们似乎只是在重复去年已经涉及的内容。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

familiar
home
old
…

verb + ground

cover
go over
tread
…

preposition

on… ground

phrases

break new ground
hold your ground
stand your ground
…

good reason

[countable, usually plural] a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something充分的理由；根据

ground(s) for something You have no grounds for complaint.你没有理由抱怨。
ground(s) for doing something What were his grounds for wanting a divorce?他要离婚的理由是什么？
ground(s) to do something There are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been committed.有理由认为这已经是犯罪了。
on the ground(s) that… The case was dismissed on the ground that there was insufficient evidence.此案因证据不足被驳回。
on grounds of something Employers cannot discriminate on grounds of age.雇主不得有年龄歧视。
on… grounds He retired early on health grounds.他因健康原因提前退休。
She was released on compassionate grounds.她因同情心被释放。
(law) What are the grounds of appeal?上诉理由是什么？
without grounds Their caution was not without grounds.他们的谨慎并非没有道理。

Synonyms reasonreasonexplanation ▪ grounds ▪ basis ▪ excuse ▪ motive ▪ justification ▪ pretextThese are all words for a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done.reason a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done; a fact that makes it right or fair to do something:

He said no but he didn’t give a reason.他说不行，但没有说明原因。

explanation a statement, fact or situation that tells you why something has happened; a reason given for something:

The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.最可能的解释是他的飞机晚点了。
She left the room abruptly without explanation.她未作解释就突然离开了房间。

grounds (rather formal) a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something:

You have no grounds for complaint.你没有理由抱怨。

basis (rather formal) the reason why people take a particular action:

On what basis will this decision be made?将基于何种原因作出这一决定呢？

excuse a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour; a good reason that you give for doing something that you want to do for other reasons:

Late again! What’s your excuse this time?又迟到了！你这次有什么借口？
It gave me an excuse to take the car.这使我有理由开车去。

motive a reason that explains somebody’s behaviour:

There seemed to be no motive for the murder.这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。

justification (rather formal) a good reason why something exists or is done:

I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases.我看不出还能提出什么理由再加税。

grounds or justification?Justification is used to talk about finding or understanding reasons for actions, or trying to explain why it is a good idea to do something. It is often used with words like little, no, some, every, without, and not any. Grounds is used more for talking about reasons that already exist, or that have already been decided, for example by law: moral/economic grounds.pretext (rather formal) a false reason that you give for doing something, usually something bad, in order to hide the real reason:

He left the party early on the pretext of having to work.他借口有事要处理，早早离开了聚会。

Patterns

(a/an) reason/explanation/grounds/basis/excuse/motive/justification/pretext for something
the reason/motive behind something
on the grounds/basis/pretext of/that…
(a) good/valid reason/explanation/grounds/excuse/motive/justification

Extra Examples

Drunkenness at work was sufficient grounds for instant dismissal.工作时醉酒足可导致立即被开除。
He resigned from his post on the grounds of ill health.他以身体不好为理由辞职了。
His evasiveness gave grounds for the suspicion that he knew more than he was saying.他含糊其词，让人有理由怀疑他没有把知道的都说出来。
Permission to open a mine was denied on environmental grounds.由于环境方面的原因，开矿被否决了。
The constable had reasonable grounds for arresting her.警察有正当的理由逮捕她。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

good
reasonable
strong
…

verb + grounds

have
be
give (somebody)
…

preposition

on… grounds
on the grounds of
ground for
…

in liquid

grounds

[plural] the small pieces of solid matter in a liquid that have fallen to the bottom渣滓；沉淀物

coffee grounds咖啡渣

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

burial
dumping
camp
…

preposition

at a/the ground
in a/the ground

electrical wire

(North American English)

(British English earth)

[countable, usually singular] a wire that connects an electric circuit with the ground and makes it safe（接）地线

Don't forget to connect the ground wire.别忘了接地线。

Topics Engineeringc2

background

[countable] a background that a design is painted or printed on（绘画或印刷的）背景，底子

pink roses on a white ground白底粉红玫瑰

Word Originnoun Old English grund, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch grond and German Grund.

Idioms

be on firm/solid ground

to be in a strong position in an argument, etc. because you know the facts（在辩论等中）立场坚定，对事实确信无疑
- Everyone agreed with me, so I knew I was on firm ground.每个人都同意我的意见，所以我知道自己立场稳固了。
- He is probably on solid ground when he says we need more training.当他说我们需要更多培训时，他可能是有根据的。
Topics Opinion and argumentc2

break ground (North American English)

to start digging for a new building project开始挖掘新的建筑项目
- They broke ground for the new highway this month.他们本月为新高速公路破土动工。
(also break new ground British and North American English)
to make a new discovery or do something that has not been done before有所发现；开拓创新
- Her architectural designs have broken new ground.她的建筑设计开辟了新天地。
- She broke ground by being the first Black woman to win the award.她成为第一位获得该奖项的黑人女性，开创了先河。
see also groundbreaking

break new ground

to make a new discovery or do something that has not been done before有所发现；开拓创新
- Her architectural designs have broken new ground.她的建筑设计开辟了新天地。
see also groundbreaking

cut the ground from under somebody’s feet

to suddenly cause somebody’s idea or plan to fail by doing something to stop them from continuing with it挖某人的墙脚；破坏某人的计划；拆某人的台

fall on stony ground

to fail to produce the result or the effect that you hope for; to have little success未产生预期的结果（或效果）；没有开花结果
- His charming smile fell on stony ground with her.他迷人的笑容和她一起落在了石头地上。
- The peace initiatives have already fallen on stony ground.和平倡议已经陷入僵局。
Topics Difficulty and failurec2

from the ground up

(informal) completely, or including everything, starting with the most basic things 从头开始；完全地；彻底地
- We need to rebuild the system from the ground up.我们需要从头开始重建系统。
- He learned about the business from the ground up.他从头开始了解这项业务。

gain ground

to become more powerful or successful变得更强大（或更有成效、更成功）；有进步；获得进展
- Sterling continues to gain ground against the dollar.英镑兑美元继续走高。
Topics Successc2

gain/make up ground (on somebody/something)

to gradually get closer to somebody/something that is moving or making progress in an activity逼近（正在向前的人或物）
- The police car was gaining ground on the suspects.警车渐渐逼近犯罪嫌疑人。
- They needed to make up ground on their competitors.他们必须穷追猛赶竞争对手。

get (something) off the ground

to start happening successfully; to make something start happening successfully（使）顺利开始，开始发生
- Without more money, the movie is unlikely to get off the ground.没有更多的资金，这部影片难以顺利开拍。
- to get a new company off the ground使新公司顺利开张
- His plan is too costly to ever get off the ground.他的方案花费太大，根本无法施行。
Topics Successc1

give/lose ground (to somebody/something)

to allow somebody/something to have an advantage; to lose an advantage for yourself退让；让步；失利
- They are not prepared to give ground on tax cuts.他们不打算在减税方面让步。
- The Conservatives lost a lot of ground to the Liberal Democrats at the election.在选举中保守党大大失利于自由民主党。

go to ground

(British English) to hide, especially to escape from somebody躲藏起来；潜伏下来

have/keep your feet on the ground

to have a sensible and realistic attitude to life实事求是；脚踏实地
- In spite of his overnight stardom he still manages to keep his feet on the ground.尽管一夜成名，他仍然脚踏实地。

hit the ground running

(informal) to start doing something and continue very quickly and successfully迅速而顺利地投入某事；一炮打响；一举成功Topics Successc2

hold/stand your ground

to continue with your opinions or intentions when somebody is opposing you and wants you to change坚持主张；坚持意图；坚持立场；不让步
- Don't let him persuade you—stand your ground.别听他的，坚持自己的主张吧。
- She held her ground in the debate.她在辩论中坚持自己的立场。
Topics Opinion and argumentc2
to face a situation and refuse to run away坚守阵地；不撤退；不退却
- It is not easy to hold your ground in front of someone with a gun.面对持枪者而不退缩并不容易。

keep/have your ear to the ground

to make sure that you always find out about the most recent developments in a particular situation注意看动向；掌握最新发展情况
- The agent had no suitable properties on his books but promised to keep an ear to the ground for us.该代理人在他的账上没有合适的房产，但承诺会为我们密切关注地面情况。

on the ground

in the place where something is happening and among the people who are in the situation, especially a war当场；在现场；（尤指）处于战火中
- On the ground, there are hopes that the fighting will soon stop.战火中的人都希望战斗尽快结束。
- There's a lot of support for the policy on the ground.很多在场的人支持这一政策。

on neutral ground/territory

in a place that has no connection with either of the people or sides who are meeting and so does not give an advantage to either of them在中立地区；在第三方地区
- We decided to meet on neutral ground.我们决定在第三方领土上会晤。

on somebody's own ground

in an area where somebody has a lot of power, knowledge or experience在某人自己的地盘上；在某人自己擅长的领域
- They are fighting the Conservatives on their own ground.他们在自己的地盘上与保守党人展开争夺。
- When it comes to music I'm on my own ground.当谈到音乐时，我有自己的立场。

prepare the ground (for something)

to make it possible or easier for something to be achieved（为…）准备条件，铺路
- The committee will prepare the ground for next month's meeting.这个委员会将为下个月的会议做好准备。
- Early experiments with rockets prepared the ground for space travel.早期的火箭实验为太空旅行奠定了基础。

run somebody/something into the ground

to make somebody work so hard that they are no longer able to work; to use something so much that it is broken 使某人精疲力竭；耗尽某物；过度使用某物

run/drive/work yourself into the ground

to work so hard that you become extremely tired把自己弄得精疲力竭；把自己累垮

shift your ground

(usually disapproving) to change your opinion about a subject, especially during a discussion（尤指讨论时）改变立场
- Each time he seemed to be losing the argument, he just shifted his ground.每次他好像都输掉了辩论，其实他只是改变了一下说法而已。
Topics Opinion and argumentc2

suit somebody down to the ground

(British English, informal) to be very convenient or acceptable for somebody对某人非常方便；很合某人心意
- This job suits me down to the ground.这份工作我非常满意。
- Country life suits me down to the ground!乡村生活对我再适合不过了！

take, claim, seize, etc. the moral high ground

to claim that your side of an argument is morally better than your opponents’ side; to argue in a way that makes your side seem morally better声称自己的论点在道义上占优势
- I was angry with his blatant attempt to take the moral high ground.他厚颜无耻地吹嘘自己有多高尚，我对此非常气愤。
Topics Opinion and argumentc2

thick/thin on the ground

(British English) if people or things are thick/thin on the ground, there are a lot/not many of them in a place为数众多（或不多）；数目巨大（或微小）；众多（或稀少）
- Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.一年里这个时节顾客很少。
- Security officers were thick on the ground during the King’s visit.国王访问期间，安保人员密密麻麻。

to the ground

completely, so that there is nothing left完全；彻底
- The hotel burned to the ground.旅馆被完全烧毁了。
- The city was razed to the ground (= completely destroyed).这座城市被夷为平地。

ground

surface of earth

area of land

soil

gardens

area of knowledge/ideas

good reason

in liquid

electrical wire

background

ground

boat

aircraft

child

electricity

ground