"break ground" meaning in English

See break ground in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-break ground.ogg [Australia] 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 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 'to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation': 81 12 2 4
  2. (figurative) To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements. Tags: figuratively Translations (to initiate a new venture; to advance beyond previous achievements): olla uraauurtava (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-break_ground-en-verb-4ibmFENW Disambiguation of 'to initiate a new venture; to advance beyond previous achievements': 10 85 3 2
  3. (nautical, of an anchor) To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed. Tags: of an anchor Categories (topical): Nautical
    Sense id: en-break_ground-en-verb-V3w1j0tI Topics: nautical, transport
  4. (of an aircraft) To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne. Tags: of an aircraft 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 2 6 87

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for break ground meaning in English (5.4kB)

{
  "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": [],
      "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": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "July 14 2021, 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": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "January 24 2024, 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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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": "81 12 2 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to begin digging at the start of a new construction or for cultivation",
          "word": "raivata"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 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": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The invention breaks ground in its programming and its structure.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023-11-06, 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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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": "10 85 3 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"
        }
      ],
      "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."
      ],
      "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."
      ],
      "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"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "of an aircraft"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 2 6 87",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "aviation: to separate from the ground on takeoff",
          "word": "nousta ilmaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 2 6 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",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "break ground"
}
{
  "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": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "July 14 2021, 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": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "January 24 2024, 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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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": "2023-11-06, 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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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."
      ],
      "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."
      ],
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "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"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-03-12 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-03-01 using wiktextract (68773ab and 5f6ddbb). 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.

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