Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

   {Ground furze} (Bot.), a low slightly thorny, leguminous
      shrub ({Ononis arvensis}) of Europe and Central Asia,; --
      called also {rest-harrow}.

   {Ground game}, hares, rabbits, etc., as distinguished from
      winged game.

   {Ground hele} (Bot.), a perennial herb ({Veronica
      officinalis}) with small blue flowers, common in Europe
      and America, formerly thought to have curative properties.
      

   {Ground of the heavens} (Astron.), the surface of any part of
      the celestial sphere upon which the stars may be regarded
      as projected.

   {Ground hemlock} (Bot.), the yew ({Taxus baccata} var.
      Canadensisi) of eastern North America, distinguished from
      that of Europe by its low, straggling stems.

   {Ground hog}. (Zo["o]l.)
       (a) The woodchuck or American marmot ({Arctomys monax}).
           See {Woodchuck}.
       (b) The aardvark.

   {Ground hold} (Naut.), ground tackle. [Obs.] --Spenser.

   {Ground ice}, ice formed at the bottom of a body of water
      before it forms on the surface.

   {Ground ivy}. (Bot.) A trailing plant; alehoof. See {Gill}.
      

   {Ground joist}, a joist for a basement or ground floor; a.
      sleeper.

   {Ground lark} (Zo["o]l.), the European pipit. See {Pipit}.

   {Ground laurel} (Bot.). See {Trailing arbutus}, under
      {Arbutus}.

   {Ground line} (Descriptive Geom.), the line of intersection
      of the horizontal and vertical planes of projection.

   {Ground liverwort} (Bot.), a flowerless plant with a broad
      flat forking thallus and the fruit raised on peduncled and
      radiated receptacles ({Marchantia polymorpha}).

   {Ground mail}, in Scotland, the fee paid for interment in a
      churchyard.

   {Ground mass} (Geol.), the fine-grained or glassy base of a
      rock, in which distinct crystals of its constituents are
      embedded.

   {Ground parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), one of several Australian
      parrakeets, of the genera {Callipsittacus} and
      {Geopsittacus}, which live mainly upon the ground.

   {Ground pearl} (Zo["o]l.), an insect of the family
      {Coccid[ae]} ({Margarodes formicarum}), found in ants'
      nests in the Bahamas, and having a shelly covering. They
      are strung like beads, and made into necklaces by the
      natives.

   {Ground pig} (Zo["o]l.), a large, burrowing, African rodent
      ({Aulacodus Swinderianus}) about two feet long, allied to
      the porcupines but with harsh, bristly hair, and no
      spines; -- called also {ground rat}.

   {Ground pigeon} (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of
      pigeons which live largely upon the ground, as the
      tooth-billed pigeon ({Didunculus strigirostris}), of the
      Samoan Islands, and the crowned pigeon, or goura. See
      {Goura}, and {Ground dove} (above).

   {Ground pine}. (Bot.)
       (a) A blue-flowered herb of the genus {Ajuga} ({A.
           Cham[ae]pitys}), formerly included in the genus
           {Teucrium} or germander, and named from its resinous
           smell. --Sir J. Hill.
       (b) A long, creeping, evergreen plant of the genus
           {Lycopodium} ({L. clavatum}); -- called also {club
           moss}.
       (c) A tree-shaped evergreen plant about eight inches in
           height, of the same genus ({L. dendroideum}) found in
           moist, dark woods in the northern part of the United
           States. --Gray.

   {Ground plan} (Arch.), a plan of the ground floor of any
      building, or of any floor, as distinguished from an
      elevation or perpendicular section.

   {Ground plane}, the horizontal plane of projection in
      perspective drawing.

   {Ground plate}.
       (a) (Arch.) One of the chief pieces of framing of a
           building; a timber laid horizontally on or near the
           ground to support the uprights; a ground sill or
           groundsel.
       (b) (Railroads) A bed plate for sleepers or ties; a
           mudsill.
       (c) (Teleg.) A metallic plate buried in the earth to
           conduct the electric current thereto. Connection to
           the pipes of a gas or water main is usual in cities.
           --Knight.

   {Ground plot}, the ground upon which any structure is
      erected; hence, any basis or foundation; also, a ground
      plan.

   {Ground plum} (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Astragalus
      caryocarpus}) occurring from the Saskatchewan to Texas,
      and having a succulent plum-shaped pod.

   {Ground rat}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ground pig} (above).

   {Ground rent}, rent paid for the privilege of building on
      another man's land.

   {Ground robin}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Chewink}.

   {Ground room}, a room on the ground floor; a lower room.
      --Tatler.

   {Ground sea}, the West Indian name for a swell of the ocean,
      which occurs in calm weather and without obvious cause,
      breaking on the shore in heavy roaring billows; -- called
      also {rollers}, and in Jamaica, {the North sea}.

   {Ground sill}. See {Ground plate} (a) (above).

   {Ground snake} (Zo["o]l.), a small burrowing American snake
      ({Celuta am[oe]na}). It is salmon colored, and has a blunt
      tail.

   {Ground squirrel}. (Zo["o]l.)
       (a) One of numerous species of burrowing rodents of the
           genera {Tamias} and {Spermophilus}, having cheek
           pouches. The former genus includes the Eastern
           striped squirrel or chipmunk and some allied Western
           species; the latter includes the prairie squirrel or
           striped gopher, the gray gopher, and many allied
           Western species. See {Chipmunk}, and {Gopher}.
       (b) Any species of the African genus {Xerus}, allied to
           {Tamias}.

   {Ground story}. Same as {Ground floor} (above).

   {Ground substance} (Anat.), the intercellular substance, or
      matrix, of tissues.

   {Ground swell}.
       (a) (Bot.) The plant groundsel. [Obs.] --Holland.
       (b) A broad, deep swell or undulation of the ocean,
           caused by a long continued gale, and felt even at a
           remote distance after the gale has ceased.

   {Ground table}. (Arch.) See Earth table, under Earth.

   {Ground tackle} (Naut.), the tackle necessary to secure a
      vessel at anchor. --Totten.

   {Ground thrush} (Zo["o]l.), one of numerous species of
      bright-colored Oriental birds of the family {Pittid[ae]}.
      See {Pitta}.

   {Ground tier}.
       (a) The lowest tier of water casks in a vessel's hold.
           --Totten.
       (b) The lowest line of articles of any kind stowed in a
           vessel's hold.
       (c) The lowest range of boxes in a theater.

   {Ground timbers} (Shipbuilding) the timbers which lie on the
      keel and are bolted to the keelson; floor timbers.
      --Knight.

   {Ground tit}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Ground wren} (below).

   {Ground wheel}, that wheel of a harvester, mowing machine,
      etc., which, rolling on the ground, drives the mechanism.
      

   {Ground wren} (Zo["o]l.), a small California bird ({Cham[ae]a
      fasciata}) allied to the wrens and titmice. It inhabits
      the arid plains. Called also {ground tit}, and {wren tit}.
      

   {To bite the ground}, {To break ground}. See under {Bite},
      {Break}.

   {To come to the ground}, {To fall to the ground}, to come to
      nothing; to fail; to miscarry.

   {To gain ground}.
       (a) To advance; to proceed forward in conflict; as, an
           army in battle gains ground.
       (b) To obtain an advantage; to have some success; as, the
           army gains ground on the enemy.
       (c) To gain credit; to become more prosperous or
           influential.

   {To get, or To gather}, {ground}, to gain ground. [R.]
      ``Evening mist . . . gathers ground fast.'' --Milton.

            There is no way for duty to prevail, and get ground
            of them, but by bidding higher.       --South.

   {To give ground}, to recede; to yield advantage.

            These nine . . . began to give me ground. --Shak.

   {To lose ground}, to retire; to retreat; to withdraw from the
      position taken; hence, to lose advantage; to lose credit
      or reputation; to decline.

   {To stand one's ground}, to stand firm; to resist attack or
      encroachment. --Atterbury.

   {To take the ground} to touch bottom or become stranded; --
      said of a ship.

Source : WordNet®

Veronica officinalis
     n : common hairy European perennial with pale blue or lilac
         flowers in axillary racemes [syn: {common speedwell}, {gypsyweed}]