| Library / English Dictionary |
GROUNDWORK
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Preliminary preparation as a basis or foundation
Example:
we are prepared today because of groundwork that was done ten years ago
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("groundwork" is a kind of...):
preparation; readying (the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lowest support of a structure
Example:
he stood at the foot of the tower
Synonyms:
base; foot; foundation; fundament; groundwork; substructure; understructure
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("groundwork" is a kind of...):
support (supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "groundwork"):
bed (a foundation of earth or rock supporting a road or railroad track)
mat; raft; raft foundation (a foundation (usually on soft ground) consisting of an extended layer of reinforced concrete)
Holonyms ("groundwork" is a part of...):
construction; structure (a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
Example:
the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture
Synonyms:
base; basis; cornerstone; foundation; fundament; groundwork
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("groundwork" is a kind of...):
assumption; supposal; supposition (a hypothesis that is taken for granted)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "groundwork"):
meat and potatoes (the fundamental part)
Holonyms ("groundwork" is a part of...):
explanation (thought that makes something comprehensible)
