grounds
grounds — noun
1. The gardens, lawns, and open land that lie within the boundary of a large house,
The gardens, lawns, and open land that lie within the boundary of a large house, school, hospital, or similar property, and that belong to it.
Salma walked her dog around the grounds of the old country house.
the grounds of + [building] pattern
Visitors are welcome to picnic on the palace grounds during summer weekends.
compound: palace grounds
The school grounds include a football pitch, a small wood, and two tennis courts.
Theo lost his hat somewhere on the hospital grounds while visiting his aunt.
Guards patrol the hotel grounds at night to keep guests safe.
文法句型
the grounds of [building/estate]
用法筆記
Always plural in this sense; the singular 'ground' cannot replace it. Subject is typically a building, institution, or estate.
常見錯誤
2. The reasons or facts that allow someone to do, say, or decide something — often
The reasons or facts that allow someone to do, say, or decide something — often used in legal, official, or argument contexts where the speaker must justify a position.
Tamar refused the job on health grounds after talking with her doctor.
on [adjective] grounds collocation
The court dismissed the case on the grounds that there was no real evidence.
on the grounds that + clause
Kabir has strong grounds for asking the company to pay him back.
Many parents object to the new school plan on financial grounds.
The lawyer said the contract was unfair and could be cancelled on those grounds.
- reasons
everyday word; grounds is more formal and often legal
- basis
singular and more abstract; grounds points to concrete justifying facts
- justification
stresses moral or logical defence; grounds is more neutral
文法句型
grounds for + [noun]
on [adjective] grounds
on the grounds that + clause
用法筆記
Almost always plural in this sense; the singular 'ground' is rare and dated. Common fixed patterns: 'on [adjective] grounds', 'grounds for [noun]', 'on the grounds that [clause]'.
常見錯誤
3. A piece of land set aside and used for one specific activity, such as sport, hun
A piece of land set aside and used for one specific activity, such as sport, hunting, burial, or training — usually marked off and named after that activity.
Hyun met her teammates at the sports grounds an hour before the match.
compound: sports grounds
Local volunteers cleaned up the old burial grounds last weekend.
compound: burial grounds
Hunting grounds in this forest have been protected since the 1950s.
The fairgrounds were full of children riding ponies and eating candy floss.
Soldiers trained on the same grounds every morning before sunrise.
文法句型
[purpose] grounds
用法筆記
Usually appears in compound forms with a purpose word in front: sports grounds, burial grounds, hunting grounds, fairgrounds. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 means land that belongs to a specific building; sense 3 means land set aside by activity, often without a single owner-building.
4. The tiny pieces of coffee bean that sink to the bottom of a cup, pot, or filter
The tiny pieces of coffee bean that sink to the bottom of a cup, pot, or filter after the drink has been made.
Gabriela tipped the coffee grounds into a pot of soil for her tomato plants.
fixed compound: coffee grounds
A thin layer of grounds had settled at the bottom of the cup.
Minh rinsed the grounds out of the filter before making a fresh pot.
Old coffee grounds work well as a gentle scrub for greasy pans.
文法句型
coffee grounds
用法筆記
Nearly always appears with 'coffee' as a fixed compound: 'coffee grounds'. The singular 'a ground' is not used in this sense.