ground-floor
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Situated on the floor of a building that is at or closest to ground level: Describes a room, entrance, or other feature located on the lowest floor of a building, typically at street level.
Usage
- The adjective "ground-floor" is used attributively, meaning it is placed directly before a noun to describe it.
- It is often hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The apartment has a ground-floor balcony overlooking the garden.
- For accessibility, we require a ground-floor office.
- The ground-floor windows were fitted with security bars.
Advanced Usage
- "ground-floor" as a metaphorical adjective: Informally used in business contexts to describe being involved in a venture from its very beginning.
- She was a ground-floor investor in the tech startup. (This usage is derived from the noun phrase "get in on the ground floor" and is often seen without a hyphen in this figurative sense.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ground floor (noun phrase): The floor of a building at or nearest ground level.
- Our shop is located on the ground floor.
- First floor (noun phrase): In American English, this is synonymous with "ground floor." In British English, it typically means the floor above the ground floor.
Synonyms
- Street-level: Located at the same height as the street.
- First-floor (AmE): Of or located on the floor at ground level.
Antonyms
- Upstairs: On a higher floor.
- Upper-floor: Located on a floor above the ground level.
Related Idioms
- Get in on the ground floor: To become involved in a project or enterprise at its very beginning.
- Those who got in on the ground floor of the company saw huge returns.
Adjective
- on the floor closest to level with the ground
- the ground-floor entrance is kept locked