Chapter 691

The hand that rounded Peter's dome, And groined the aisles of Christian Rome, Wrought in a sad sincerity. Emerson.

Groined <Xpage=652>

Groined (?) , a. (Arch.) Built with groins; as, a groined ceiling; a groined vault .

<-- Illustr. of Groined Arch. -->

Gromet <Xpage=652>

Grom"et (?) , n. Same as Grommet .

Gromill <Xpage=652>

Grom"ill (?) , n. (Bot.) See Gromwell .

Grommet <Xpage=652>

Grom"met (?) , n. [F. gourmette curb, curb chain, fr. gourmer to curb, thump, beat; cf. Armor. gromm a curb, gromma to curb.] 1. A ring formed by twisting on itself a single strand of an unlaid rope; also, a metallic eyelet in or for a sail or a mailbag. Sometimes written grummet .

2. (Mil.) A ring of rope used as a wad to hold a cannon ball in place.

Gromwell <Xpage=652>

Grom"well (?) , n. [Called also gromel , grommel , graymill , and gray millet, all prob. fr. F. gr ? mil , cf. W. cromandi .] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Lithospermum ( L. arvense ), anciently used, because of its stony pericarp, in the cure of gravel. The German gromwell is the Stellera . [Written also gromill .]

Grond <Xpage=652>

Grond (?) , obs. imp. of Grind .

Chaucer.

Gronte <Xpage=652>

Gron"te (?) , obs. imp. of Groan .

Chaucer .

Groom <Xpage=652>

Groom (?) , n. [Cf. Scot. grome , groyme , grume , gome , guym , man, lover, OD. grom boy, youth; perh. the r is an insertion as in E . bridegroom , and the word is the same as AS. guma man. See Bridegroom .] 1. A boy or young man; a waiter; a servant; especially, a man or boy who has charge of horses, or the stable.

Spenser.

2. One of several officers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department; as, the groom of the chamber; the groom of the stole.

3. A man recently married, or about to be married; a bridegroom.

Dryden.

Groom porter , formerly an officer in the English royal household, who attended to the furnishing of the king's lodgings and had certain privileges.

Groom <Xpage=652>

Groom , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Groomed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Grooming .] To tend or care for, or to curry or clean, as a, horse.

Groomer <Xpage=652>

Groom"er (?) , n. One who, or that which, grooms horses; especially, a brush rotated by a flexible or jointed revolving shaft, for cleaning horses.

Groomsman <Xpage=652>

Grooms"man (?) , n. ; pl. Groomsmen (<?/) . A male attendant of a bridegroom at his wedding; -- the correlative of bridesmaid<-- = best man -->.

Grooper <Xpage=652>

Groop"er (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Grouper .

Groove <Xpage=652>

Groove (?) , n. [D. groef , groeve ; akin to E. grove . See Grove .] 1. A furrow, channel, or long hollow, such as may be formed by cutting, molding, grinding, the wearing force of flowing water, or constant travel; a depressed way; a worn path; a rut.

2. Hence: The habitual course of life, work, or affairs; fixed routine.

The gregarious trifling of life in the social groove . J. Morley.

3. [See Grove .] (Mining) A shaft or excavation. [Prov. Eng.]

Groove <Xpage=652>

Groove , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Grooved (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Groving .] To cut a groove or channel in; to form into channels or grooves; to furrow.

Groover <Xpage=652>

Groov"er (?) , n. 1. One who or that which grooves.

2. A miner. [Prov. Eng.]

Holloway.

Grooving <Xpage=652>

Groov"ing (?) , n. The act of forming a groove or grooves; a groove, or collection of grooves.

<-- Groovy [colloq] = marvelous, wonderful, excellent; hip -->

Grope <Xpage=652>

Grope (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Groped (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Groping .] [OE. gropen , gropien , grapien , AS. gr<?/pian to touch, grope, fr. gr<?/pan to gripe. See Gripe .] 1. To feel with or use the hands; to handle. [Obs.]

2. To search or attempt to find something in the dark, or, as a blind person, by feeling; to move about hesitatingly, as in darkness or obscurity; to feel one's way, as with the hands, when one can not see.

We grope for the wall like the blind. Is. lix. 10.

To grope a little longer among the miseries and sensualities ot a worldly life. Buckminster.

Grope <Xpage=652>

Grope , v. t. 1. To search out by feeling in the dark; as, we groped our way at midnight .

2. To examine; to test; to sound. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Felix gropeth him, thinking to have a bribe. Genevan Test. (Acts xxiv. ).

Groper <Xpage=652>

Grop"er (?) , n. One who gropes; one who feels his way in the dark, or searches by feeling.

Groping-ly <Xpage=652>

Grop"ing-ly , adv. In a groping manner.

Gros <Xpage=652>

Gros (?) , n. [F. See Gross .] A heavy silk with a dull finish; as, gros de Naples; gros de Tours.

Grosbeak <Xpage=652>

Gros"beak (?) , n. [ Gross + beak: cf. F. gros-bec .] (Zo\'94l.) One of various species of finches having a large, stout beak. The common European grosbeak or hawfinch is Coccothraustes vulgaris .

&hand; Among the best known American species are the rose-breasted ( Habia Ludoviciana ); the blue ( Guiraca c\'d2rulea ); the pine ( Pinicola enucleator ); and the evening grosbeak. See Hawfinch , and Cardinal grosbeak , Evening grosbeak , under Cardinal and Evening . [Written also grossbeak .]

<-- illustr. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, ( Habia Ludoviciana ). -->

Groschen <Xpage=652>

Grosch"en (?) , n. [G.] A small silver coin and money of account of Germany, worth about two cents. It is not included in the new monetary system of the empire.

Grosgrain <Xpage=652>

Gros"grain` (?) , a. [F. Cf. Grogram .] Of a coarse texture; -- applied to silk with a heavy thread running crosswise.

Gross <Xpage=652>

Gross (?) , a. [ Compar. Grosser (<?/) ; superl. Grossest .] [F. gros , L. grossus , perh. fr. L. crassus thick, dense, fat, E. crass , cf. Skr. grathita tied together, wound up, hardened. Cf. Engross , Grocer , Grogram .] 1. Great; large; bulky; fat; of huge size; excessively large. "A gross fat man."

Shak.

A gross body of horse under the Duke. Milton.

2. Coarse; rough; not fine or delicate.

3. Not easily aroused or excited; not sensitive in perception or feeling; dull; witless.

Tell her of things that no gross ear can hear. Milton.

4. Expressing, Or originating in, animal or sensual appetites; hence, coarse, vulgar, low, obscene, or impure.

The terms which are delicate in one age become gross in the next. Macaulay.

5. Thick; dense; not attenuated; as, a gross medium .

6. Great; palpable; serious; vagrant; shameful; as, a gross mistake; gross injustice; gross negligence.

7. Whole; entire; total; without deduction; as, the gross sum, or gross amount, the gross weight ; -- opposed to net.

Gross adventure (Law) the loan of money upon bottomry, i. e. , on a mortgage of a ship. -- Gross average (Law) , that kind of average which falls upon the gross or entire amount of ship, cargo, and freight; -- commonly called general average . Bouvier . Burrill . -- Gross receipts , the total of the receipts, before they are diminished by any deduction, as for expenses; -- distinguished from net profits . Abbott . -- Gross weight the total weight of merchandise or goods, without deduction for tare, tret, or waste; -- distinguished from neat , or net , weight .

Gross <Xpage=652>

Gross , n. [F. gros (in sense 1), grosse (in sense 2) See Gross , a. ] 1. The main body; the chief part, bulk, or mass. "The gross of the enemy."

Addison.

For the gross of the people, they are considered as a mere herd of cattle. Burke.

2. sing. & pl. The number of twelve dozen; twelve times twelve; as, a gross of bottles; ten gross of pens.

Advowson in gross (Law) , an advowson belonging to a person, and not to a manor. -- A great gross , twelve gross; one hundred and forty-four dozen. -- By the gross , by the quantity; at wholesale. -- Common in gross . (Law) See under Common , n. -- In the gross , In gross , in the bulk, or the undivided whole; all parts taken together.

Grossbeak <Xpage=652>

Gross"beak` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Grosbeak .

Gross-headed <Xpage=652>

Gross"-head`ed (?) , a. Thick-skulled; stupid.

Grossification <Xpage=652>

Gross`i*fi*ca"tion (?) , n. [ Gross + L. ficare (in comp.) to make. See -fy .] 1. The act of making gross or thick, or the state of becoming so.

2. (Bot.) The swelling of the ovary of plants after fertilization. Henslow.

Grossly <Xpage=652>

Gross"ly , adv. In a gross manner; greatly; coarsely; without delicacy; shamefully; disgracefully.

Grossness <Xpage=652>

Gross"ness , n. The state or quality of being gross; thickness; corpulence; coarseness; shamefulness.

Abhor the swinish grossness that delights to wound the' ear of delicacy. Dr. T. Dwight.

Grossular <Xpage=652>

Gros"su*lar (?) , a. [NL. grossularius , from Grossularia a subgenus of Ribes , including the gooseberry, fr. F. groseille . See Gooseberry .] Pertaining too, or resembling, a gooseberry; as, grossular garnet .

Grossular <Xpage=652>

Gros"su*lar , n. [See Grossular , a. ] (Min.) A translucent garnet of a pale green color like that of the gooseberry; -- called also grossularite .

Grossularia <Xpage=652>

Gros`su*la"ria (?) , n. [NL. See Grossular .] (Min.) Same as Grossular .

Grossulin <Xpage=652>

Gros"su*lin (?) , n. [See Grossular .] (Chem.) A vegetable jelly, resembling pectin, found in gooseberries ( Ribes Grossularia ) and other fruits.

<page="653"> Page 653

Grot <Xpage=653>

Grot (?) , n. [F. grotte , It. grotta . See Grotto .] A grotto. [Poetic]

Milton.

Grot, Grote <Xpage=653>

Grot , Grote (<?/) , n. A groat. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Grotesgue <Xpage=653>

Gro*tesgue" (?) , a. [F., fr. It. grottesco , fr. grotta grotto. See Grotto .] Like the figures found in ancient grottoes; grottolike; wildly or strangely formed; whimsical; extravagant; of irregular forms and proportions; fantastic; ludicrous; antic. " Grotesque design." Dryden . " Grotesque incidents." Macaulay .

Grotesque <Xpage=653>

Gro*tesque , n. 1. A whimsical figure, or scene, such as is found in old crypts and grottoes.

Dryden.

2. Artificial grotto-work.

Grotesquely <Xpage=653>

Gro*tesque"ly , adv. In a grotesque manner.

Grotesqueness <Xpage=653>

Gro*tesque"ness , n. Quality of being grotesque.

Grotto <Xpage=653>

Grot"to (?) , n. ; pl. Grottoes (#) . [Formerly grotta , fr. It. grotta , LL. grupta , fr. L. crypta a con cealed subterranran passage vault, cavern, Gr. <?/, fr. <?/ concealed, fr. <?/ to conceal. Cf. Grot , Crypt .] A natural covered opening in the earth; a cave; also, an artificial recess, cave, or cavernlike apartment.

Grotto-work <Xpage=653>

Grot"to-work` (?) , n. Artificial and ornamental rockwork in imitation of a grotto.

Cowper.

Ground <Xpage=653>

Ground (?) , n. [OE. ground , grund , AS. grund ; akin to D. grond , OS., G., Sw., & Dan. grund , Icel. grunnr bottom, Goth. grundus (in composition); perh. orig. meaning, dust, gravel, and if so perh. akin to E. grind .] 1. The surface of the earth; the outer crust of the globe, or some indefinite portion of it.

There was not a man to till the ground . Gen. ii. 5.

The fire ran along upon the ground . Ex. ix. 23.

Hence: A floor or pavement supposed to rest upon the earth .

2. Any definite portion of the earth's surface; region; territory; country. Hence: A territory appropriated to, or resorted to, for a particular purpose; the field or place of action; as, a hunting or fishing ground ; a play ground .

From . . . old Euphrates, to the brook that parts Egypt from Syrian ground . Milton.

3. Land; estate; possession; field; esp. ( pl. ), the gardens, lawns, fields, etc., belonging to a homestead; as, the grounds of the estate are well kept .

Thy next design is on thy neighbor's grounds . Dryden. 4.

4. The basis on which anything rests; foundation. Hence: The foundation of knowledge, belief, or conviction; a premise, reason, or datum; ultimate or first principle; cause of existence or occurrence; originating force or agency; as, the ground of my hope .

5. (Paint. & Decorative Art) (a) That surface upon which the figures of a composition are set, and which relieves them by its plainness, being either of one tint or of tints but slightly contrasted with one another; as, crimson Bowers on a white ground . See Background , Foreground , and Middle-ground . (b) In sculpture, a flat surface upon which figures are raised in relief . (c) In point lace, the net of small meshes upon which the embroidered pattern is applied; as, Brussels ground . See Brussels lace , under Brussels .

6. (Etching) A gummy composition spread over the surface of a metal to be etched, to prevent the acid from eating except where an opening is made by the needle.

7. (Arch.) One of the pieces of wood, flush with the plastering, to which moldings, etc., are attached; -- usually in the plural.

&hand; Grounds are usually put up first and the plastering floated flush with them.

8. (Mus.) (a) A composition in which the bass, consisting of a few bars of independent notes, is continually repeated to a varying melody. (b) The tune on which descants are raised; the plain song.

Moore (Encyc.).

On that ground I'll build a holy descant. Shak.

9. (Elec.) A conducting connection with the earth, whereby the earth is made part of an electrical circuit.

10. pl. Sediment at the bottom of liquors or liquids; dregs; lees; feces; as, coffee grounds .

11. The pit of a theater. [Obs.]

B. Jonson.