grounds

Grounds is a plural noun with multiple related yet distinct meanings in English. The most literal sense refers to the land around a building or facility—the grounds. This includes lawns, gardens, paths, parking areas, and other outdoor spaces that belong to institutions such as schools, hotels, or churches. Groundskeeping covers maintenance of these areas, from mowing to landscaping, and access policies vary by location.

A second sense is figurative: grounds are the reasons or basis for a belief, action, or decision. Common collocations include "grounds for appeal," "grounds for dismissal," or "on the grounds that." In law, legal grounds are the foundations of a claim or defense, often delineated from evidence or jurisdiction. In ethics or everyday speech, people refer to emotional, factual, or moral grounds for a conclusion.

A third sense concerns coffee grounds—the spent solid matter remaining after brewing coffee. Coffee grounds are a byproduct of coffee preparation and are used in composting or gardening, as deodorants in refrigerators, or in cleaning tasks, though they can stain porous surfaces.

The word's flexibility reflects its broad Germanic roots, aligning with ideas of foundation, base, or surface. When used, the exact meaning is usually inferred from context.