"break ground" meaning in English

See break ground in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-break ground.ogg Forms: breaks ground [present, singular, third-person], breaking ground [participle, present], broke ground [past], broken ground [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|break<,,broke,broken> ground}} break ground (third-person singular simple present breaks ground, present participle breaking ground, simple past broke ground, past participle broken ground)
  1. (literally) To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation. Tags: literally Categories (topical): Agriculture, Construction Translations (to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation): raivata (Finnish), pistää lapio maahan [idiomatic] (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-break_ground-en-verb-en:dig Disambiguation of Agriculture: 36 28 32 4 Disambiguation of Construction: 57 17 19 8 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English light verb constructions, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 39 15 41 6 Disambiguation of English light verb constructions: 40 19 34 7 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 34 21 38 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 37 18 40 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 37 20 40 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 30 31 31 8 Disambiguation of 'to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation': 82 12 2 4
  2. (figurative) To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements. Tags: figuratively Categories (topical): Agriculture Translations (to initiate a new venture; to advance beyond previous achievements): olla uraauurtava (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-break_ground-en-verb-4ibmFENW Disambiguation of Agriculture: 36 28 32 4 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English light verb constructions, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 39 15 41 6 Disambiguation of English light verb constructions: 40 19 34 7 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 34 21 38 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 37 18 40 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 37 20 40 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 30 31 31 8 Disambiguation of 'to initiate a new venture; to advance beyond previous achievements': 14 78 7 2
  3. (nautical, of an anchor) To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed. Categories (topical): Nautical, Agriculture
    Sense id: en-break_ground-en-verb-V3w1j0tI Disambiguation of Agriculture: 36 28 32 4 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English light verb constructions, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 39 15 41 6 Disambiguation of English light verb constructions: 40 19 34 7 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 34 21 38 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 37 18 40 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 37 20 40 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 30 31 31 8 Topics: nautical, transport
  4. (of an aircraft) To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne. Synonyms: break land Related terms: blaze a trail, break new ground, ground-breaking Translations (aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff): nousta ilmaan (Finnish), lähteä lentoon (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-break_ground-en-verb-EKP~BDKK Disambiguation of 'aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff': 5 3 5 87

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "breaks ground",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "breaking ground",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "broke ground",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "broken ground",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "break<,,broke,broken> ground"
      },
      "expansion": "break ground (third-person singular simple present breaks ground, present participle breaking ground, simple past broke ground, past participle broken ground)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "39 15 41 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 19 34 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English light verb constructions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 21 38 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 18 40 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 20 40 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 31 31 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 28 32 4",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Agriculture",
          "orig": "en:Agriculture",
          "parents": [
            "Applied sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "57 17 19 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Construction",
          "orig": "en:Construction",
          "parents": [
            "Architecture",
            "Engineering",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Technology",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "All topics",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They broke ground on the new library last month.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913, Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, chapter 2:",
          "text": "Try to break a little more land every year; sod corn is good for fodder. Keep turning the land, and always put up more hay than you need.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 July 14, Paul Stephen, “A portal into the future”, in RAIL, number 935, page 52:",
          "text": "Just over a year on from Notice-to-Proceed, HS2 Ltd launched the first of ten tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnels on Phase 1. Florence broke ground on May 13, and was joined by Cecilia in the week commencing June 29 [...] to bore a pair of ten-mile-long tunnels beneath the Chilterns.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 January 24, Peter Plisner, “Rising to the University challenge”, in RAIL, number 1001, page 61:",
          "text": "Then there's the archaeology. As mentioned, the new station sits on part of what used to be Metchley Roman Fort, dating back to c.48AD. Those working on the project had to stay in close contact with Historic England to gain consent whenever they broke ground.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation."
      ],
      "id": "en-break_ground-en-verb-en:dig",
      "links": [
        [
          "begin",
          "begin"
        ],
        [
          "digging",
          "digging"
        ],
        [
          "earth",
          "earth"
        ],
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ],
        [
          "new",
          "new"
        ],
        [
          "construction",
          "construction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:dig"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "82 12 2 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation",
          "word": "raivata"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 12 2 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "pistää lapio maahan"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "39 15 41 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 19 34 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English light verb constructions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 21 38 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 18 40 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 20 40 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 31 31 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 28 32 4",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Agriculture",
          "orig": "en:Agriculture",
          "parents": [
            "Applied sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The invention breaks ground in its programming and its structure.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 November 6, Eliza Shapiro, “Inside the Private World the Richest New Yorkers Built for Themselves”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Remedy Place, which calls itself “the world’s first social wellness club,” broke ground in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles before opening its first location in New York last year.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements."
      ],
      "id": "en-break_ground-en-verb-4ibmFENW",
      "links": [
        [
          "initiate",
          "initiate"
        ],
        [
          "venture",
          "venture"
        ],
        [
          "advance",
          "advance"
        ],
        [
          "beyond",
          "beyond"
        ],
        [
          "previous",
          "previous"
        ],
        [
          "achievement",
          "achievement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "14 78 7 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to initiate a new venture; to advance beyond previous achievements",
          "word": "olla uraauurtava"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 15 41 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "40 19 34 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English light verb constructions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 21 38 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 18 40 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 20 40 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "30 31 31 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 28 32 4",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Agriculture",
          "orig": "en:Agriculture",
          "parents": [
            "Applied sciences",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed."
      ],
      "id": "en-break_ground-en-verb-V3w1j0tI",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "anchor",
          "anchor"
        ],
        [
          "lift",
          "lift"
        ],
        [
          "sea",
          "sea"
        ],
        [
          "bottom",
          "bottom"
        ],
        [
          "weighed",
          "weighed"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical, of an anchor) To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of an anchor"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne."
      ],
      "id": "en-break_ground-en-verb-EKP~BDKK",
      "links": [
        [
          "aircraft",
          "aircraft"
        ],
        [
          "takeoff",
          "takeoff"
        ],
        [
          "airborne",
          "airborne"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of an aircraft) To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of an aircraft"
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 100",
          "word": "blaze a trail"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 100",
          "word": "break new ground"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 100",
          "word": "ground-breaking"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 100",
          "word": "break land"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 5 87",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff",
          "word": "nousta ilmaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 5 87",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff",
          "word": "lähteä lentoon"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-break ground.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/36/En-au-break_ground.ogg/En-au-break_ground.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/En-au-break_ground.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "break ground"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English intransitive verbs",
    "English lemmas",
    "English light verb constructions",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "en:Agriculture",
    "en:Construction"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "breaks ground",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "breaking ground",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "broke ground",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "broken ground",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "break<,,broke,broken> ground"
      },
      "expansion": "break ground (third-person singular simple present breaks ground, present participle breaking ground, simple past broke ground, past participle broken ground)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "blaze a trail"
    },
    {
      "word": "break new ground"
    },
    {
      "word": "ground-breaking"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They broke ground on the new library last month.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1913, Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, chapter 2:",
          "text": "Try to break a little more land every year; sod corn is good for fodder. Keep turning the land, and always put up more hay than you need.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 July 14, Paul Stephen, “A portal into the future”, in RAIL, number 935, page 52:",
          "text": "Just over a year on from Notice-to-Proceed, HS2 Ltd launched the first of ten tunnel boring machines (TBMs) that will dig 64 miles of tunnels on Phase 1. Florence broke ground on May 13, and was joined by Cecilia in the week commencing June 29 [...] to bore a pair of ten-mile-long tunnels beneath the Chilterns.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2024 January 24, Peter Plisner, “Rising to the University challenge”, in RAIL, number 1001, page 61:",
          "text": "Then there's the archaeology. As mentioned, the new station sits on part of what used to be Metchley Roman Fort, dating back to c.48AD. Those working on the project had to stay in close contact with Historic England to gain consent whenever they broke ground.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "begin",
          "begin"
        ],
        [
          "digging",
          "digging"
        ],
        [
          "earth",
          "earth"
        ],
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ],
        [
          "new",
          "new"
        ],
        [
          "construction",
          "construction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:dig"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The invention breaks ground in its programming and its structure.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 November 6, Eliza Shapiro, “Inside the Private World the Richest New Yorkers Built for Themselves”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Remedy Place, which calls itself “the world’s first social wellness club,” broke ground in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles before opening its first location in New York last year.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "initiate",
          "initiate"
        ],
        [
          "venture",
          "venture"
        ],
        [
          "advance",
          "advance"
        ],
        [
          "beyond",
          "beyond"
        ],
        [
          "previous",
          "previous"
        ],
        [
          "achievement",
          "achievement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "anchor",
          "anchor"
        ],
        [
          "lift",
          "lift"
        ],
        [
          "sea",
          "sea"
        ],
        [
          "bottom",
          "bottom"
        ],
        [
          "weighed",
          "weighed"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical, of an anchor) To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of an anchor"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "aircraft",
          "aircraft"
        ],
        [
          "takeoff",
          "takeoff"
        ],
        [
          "airborne",
          "airborne"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(of an aircraft) To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of an aircraft"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-break ground.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/36/En-au-break_ground.ogg/En-au-break_ground.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/En-au-break_ground.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "break land"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation",
      "word": "raivata"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation",
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "word": "pistää lapio maahan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to initiate a new venture; to advance beyond previous achievements",
      "word": "olla uraauurtava"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff",
      "word": "nousta ilmaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff",
      "word": "lähteä lentoon"
    }
  ],
  "word": "break ground"
}

Download raw JSONL data for break ground meaning in English (5.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.