ground sb. (2 is freq.; many quibbles occur between literal and figurative meanings)
1.
the bottom of
the sea or other water
1H4 I. iii. 204
“Where fathom-line could
never touch the ”
; the bottom where the water becomes too
shallow for a vessel to float
2H4 IV. i. 17
“touch And dash
themselves to pieces,”
IV. iv. 40
“on ”
(=aground).
2.
basis, foundation
Shr. III. i. 74
“‘Gamut’ I
am, the
of all accord,”
Tw.N. II. iii. 166
“his of faith”
; (hence) motive, reason
Wint. I. ii. 353
“my to do't Is the
obedience to a master,”
Rom. V. iii. 180
“the true of all these
piteous woes,”
Compl. 63
“the grounds and motives
of her woe.”
3.
in painting or
decoration, main surface or first coat of colour
1H4 I. ii. 234
“like bright metal on a
sullen ground,”
Lucr. 1074
“My sable ground of sin
I will not paint.”
4.
plainsong or bass on
which a descant is ‘raised’ (fig.)
R3 III. vii. 48
“on that I'll make a holy
descant,”
Tit. II. i. 70 (with
play on sense 2) “should the
empress know This discord's , the music would not
please.”
5.
space traversed or
occupied
Mer.V. II. ii. 114
“till I have run some
;—get of,”
get the better of 2H4 II. iii.
53, Cym. I. iv. 119; “give ,” recede, yield
Tp. II. ii. 65, 3H6 II. vi. 16.
