On the ground or bottom of shallow water; used especially when a ship becomes stuck on land or a beach.
From Old English 'a-' (on) plus 'ground.' Originally a nautical term for when a ship runs into shallow water or sand and gets stuck, unable to move deeper into the water.
Running aground has been a maritime disaster for thousands of years—even advanced ships can get stuck on underwater features invisible from above. The term reminds us that the ocean and earth can trap even our most impressive technology.
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