# grounding

Pronunciation: US say "GROWN-ding" /ˈɡɹaʊndɪŋ/; UK

## Noun

1. Basic knowledge or background that serves as a foundation in a field or discipline.
   - Simple: A basic understanding of a subject that you can build on later.
   - _The course offers a thorough grounding in the principles of economics._
   - _Without a firm grounding in statistics, the results are easy to misread._
2. A punishment in which a child is forbidden from going out or using electronics for a set period.
   - Simple: A punishment where a child is not allowed to go out or use phones and games for a while.
   - _The grounding lasted a month, with no phone and no trips to the mall._
   - _After the bad report card, a grounding seemed inevitable._
3. The connected metal chassis or frame of a device, joined to earth through a designated conductor, which carries no current in normal operation.
   - Simple: The metal path that links a machine to the earth to keep people safe from shocks.
   - _Faulty grounding allowed the metal casing to become live during the short circuit._
   - _Inspectors verified the grounding throughout the building's electrical system._
4. An official ban that prevents aircraft from taking off, imposed by government action.
   - Simple: An order from the government that stops planes from taking off.
   - _The grounding of the entire fleet cost the airline millions._
   - _Regulators ordered an immediate grounding after the second crash._
5. The collision of a ship with the seabed beneath the water.
   - Simple: When a ship hits the sea floor and gets stuck.
   - _The grounding left the tanker stranded on the sandbar until high tide._
   - _An error in navigation led to the grounding of the cargo ship._
6. The process of returning to full, ordinary awareness once a psychedelic experience subsides.
   - Simple: Coming back to a normal, clear mind after a mind-altering drug wears off.
   - _Sitters often guide the grounding once the most intense effects subside._
   - _His grounding came gently as colors returned to normal._
7. An energy practice in which one visualizes roots descending into the earth to absorb energy using chi.
   - Simple: A practice where you picture roots growing down into the earth to take in energy.
   - _The teacher led the class through grounding before the breathing exercises._
   - _He practices grounding each morning to draw energy up from the earth._
8. The background surface of a piece of embroidery, against which the design is worked.
   - Simple: The plain background fabric of a piece of embroidery, behind the stitched design.
   - _The embroiderer worked the motif onto a silk grounding._
   - _A contrasting grounding made the raised stitches stand out._

## Verb

9. Present participle and gerund of ground. — present participle and gerund of ground
   - Simple: Present participle of ground. Use this -ing form when the action is happening now or acts as a noun.
   - _The airline is grounding its entire fleet for inspection._
   - _Grounding the wire properly prevents electric shocks._

## Origin

Formed from "ground" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/grounding (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).