NRTC English: Grounded pepper or ground pepper?

Just like tinned tomatoes, rotten mangoes, and dried fish, we say “ground pepper” when referring to the powdered form of this spice.

In this phrase, “ground” functions as an adjective that describes the state or form of the spice “pepper.” The adjective “ground” is used to indicate that the pepper has been crushed or finely powdered.

It is a standard way of referring to spices that have been processed into a fine powder.

For example:

• Ground cinnamon
• Ground cumin
• Ground paprika

So, next time you want to cook your meal, remember, it’s called ground pepper, NOT grounded pepper.

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However, there are other expressions where we can have ‘ground’

Be grounded

According to Cambridge Dictionary Online, if a ship is grounded, it cannot move because it has hit solid ground:

• The oil tanker was grounded on a sandbank. (Usually in passive voice)

Ground (as a verb) can also mean to punish: to forbid (= refuse to allow) a child or young person from going out as a punishment:

• My parents grounded me for a week. (past tense)

On a final note, ground can also mean a reason for something. Here are some examples from Cambridge Dictionary Online:

on (the) grounds of sth: The doctor refused to surrender patient records on grounds of confidentiality.

on the grounds that: Researchers shut down the trial on the grounds that the vaccine was proving ineffective.

grounds for sth: Only 13 of the contracts examined listed incompetence as legitimate grounds for dismissal.

on health/environmental/legal grounds: The college was shut on health and safety grounds.