ground vs wire

ground

noun
  • An electrical conductor connected to the earth, or a large conductor whose electrical potential is taken as zero (such as a steel chassis). 

  • Basis, foundation, groundwork, legwork. 

  • Terrain. 

  • The pit of a theatre. 

  • A soccer stadium. 

  • Reason, (epistemic) justification, cause. 

  • The plain surface upon which the figures of an artistic composition are set. 

  • A flat surface upon which figures are raised in relief. 

  • The area on which a battle is fought, particularly as referring to the area occupied by one side or the other. Often, according to the eventualities, "to give ground" or "to gain ground". 

  • The surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sky or water or underground. 

  • One of the pieces of wood, flush with the plastering, to which mouldings etc. are attached. 

  • The bottom of a body of water. 

  • Background, context, framework, surroundings. 

  • The net of small meshes upon which the embroidered pattern is applied. 

  • A composition in which the bass, consisting of a few bars of independent notes, is continually repeated to a varying melody. 

  • Advantage given or gained in any contest; e.g. in football, chess, debate or academic discourse. 

  • The area of grass on which a match is played (a cricket field); the entire arena in which it is played; the part of the field behind a batsman's popping crease where he can not be run out (hence to make one's ground). 

  • The tune on which descants are raised; the plain song. 

  • Soil, earth. 

  • A gummy substance 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. 

verb
  • To cover with a ground, as a copper plate for etching, or as paper or other materials with a uniform tint as a preparation for ornament. 

  • To connect (an electrical conductor or device) to a ground. 

  • To forbid (an aircraft or pilot) to fly. 

  • To found; to fix or set, as on a foundation, reason, or principle; to furnish a ground for; to fix firmly. 

  • To run aground; to strike the bottom and remain fixed. 

  • To place something on the ground. 

  • To hit a ground ball. Compare fly (verb (regular)) and line (verb). 

  • To improve or focus the mental or emotional state of. 

  • To punish, especially a child or teenager, by forcing them to stay at home and/or give up certain privileges. 

  • To give a basic education in a particular subject; to instruct in elements or first principles. 

adj
  • Crushed, or reduced to small particles. 

  • Processed by grinding. 

wire

noun
  • A metal conductor that carries electricity. 

  • Any of the system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show; hence, the network of hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization; strings. 

  • A piece of such material; a thread or slender rod of metal, a cable. 

  • A knitting needle. 

  • Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die. 

  • A telecommunication wire or cable. 

  • An electric telegraph; a telegram. 

  • A hidden listening device on the person of an undercover operative for the purposes of obtaining incriminating spoken evidence. 

  • A fence made of usually barbed wire. 

  • A deadline or critical endpoint. 

  • A finish line of a racetrack. 

  • A wire strung with beads and hung horizontally above or near the table which is used to keep score. 

  • The slender shaft of the plumage of certain birds. 

  • A covert signal sent between people cheating in a card game. 

verb
  • To send a message or monetary funds to another person through a telecommunications system, formerly predominantly by telegraph. 

  • To place (a ball) so that the wire of a wicket prevents a successful shot. 

  • To fasten with wire, especially with reference to wine bottles, corks, or fencing. 

  • To set or predetermine (someone's personality or behaviour, or an organization's culture) in a particular way. 

  • To string on a wire. 

  • To add (something) into a system (especially an electrical system) by means of wiring. 

  • To snare by means of a wire or wires. 

  • To install eavesdropping equipment. 

  • To make someone tense or psyched up. See also adjective wired. 

  • To connect, involve or embed (something) deeply or intimately into (something else, such as an organization or political scene), so that it is plugged in (to that thing) (“keeping up with current information about (the thing)”) or has insinuated itself into (the thing). 

  • To add or connect (something) into a system as if with wires (for example, with nerves). 

  • To equip with wires for use with electricity. 

How often have the words ground and wire occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )