Definitions for groundling
ˈgraʊnd lɪŋgroundling

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. groundlingnoun

   in Elizabethan theater: a playgoer in the cheap standing section

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. groundlingnoun

   any of various plants or animals living on or near the ground, as a benthic fish or bottom feeder

2. groundlingnoun

   by association, an individual of uncultivated or uncultured taste

3. groundlingnoun

   in Elizabethan theater: an audience member (usually standing) in the cheap section

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Groundlingnoun

   A fish which keeps at the bottom of the water: hence one of the low vulgar. Hanm.

   Etymology: from ground.

   It offends me to the soul, to hear a robusteous perriwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings. William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Groundling

   A groundling was a person who visited the Red Lion, The Rose, or the Globe theatres in the early 17th century. They were too poor to pay to be able to sit on one of the three levels of the theatre. If they paid one penny (equivalent to £1 in 2021), they could stand in "the pit", also called "the yard", just below the stage, to watch the play. Standing in the pit was uncomfortable, and people were usually packed in tightly. The groundlings were commoners who were also referred to as stinkards or penny-stinkers. The name 'groundlings' came about after Hamlet referenced them as such when the play was first performed around 1600. At the time, the word had entered the English language to mean a small type of fish with a gaping mouth - from the vantage point of the actor playing Hamlet, set on a stage raised around 5 feet (1.5 m) from the ground, the sea of upturned faces may have looked like wide-mouthed fish. They were known to misbehave and are commonly believed to have thrown food such as fruit and nuts at characters / actors they did not like, although there is no evidence of this. They would watch the plays from the cramped pits with sometimes over 500 people standing there. In 1599, Thomas Platter mentioned the cost of admission at contemporary London theatres in his diary: There are separate galleries and there one stands more comfortably and moreover can sit, but one pays more for it. Thus anyone who remains on the level standing pays only one English penny: but if he wants to sit, he is let in at a farther door, and there he gives another penny. If he desires to sit on a cushion in the most comfortable place of all, where he not only sees everything well, but can also be seen then he gives yet another English penny at another door. And in the pauses of the comedy food and drink are carried round amongst the people and one can thus refresh himself at his own cost.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. groundling

   A groundling is a term originating from Elizabethan theatre, referring to a spectator who stood in the pit of the theatre rather than sitting in the galleries. These spectators paid less to watch performances and were often known for their rowdy behavior. The term is commonly associated with the audiences at the Globe Theatre during Shakespeare's time. In a more general context, it can refer to someone considered low class or lacking in sophisticated taste.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Groundlingnoun

   a fish that keeps at the bottom of the water, as the loach

2. Groundlingnoun

   a spectator in the pit of a theater, which formerly was on the ground, and without floor or benches

3. Etymology: [Ground + -ling.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Groundling

   A groundling was a person who frequented the Globe Theatre in the early 17th century and was too poor to pay to be able to sit on one of the three levels of the theatre. By paying one penny, they could stand in "the pit", also called "the yard", just below the stage to watch the play. Standing in the pit was uncomfortable, and people were usually packed in tightly. The groundlings were commoners who were also referred to as stinkards or penny-stinkers. The name 'groundlings' came about after Hamlet referenced them as such when the play was first performed around 1600. At the time, the word had entered the English language to mean a small type of fish with a gaping mouth - this becomes pertinent when we realise that from the vantage point of the actor playing Hamlet, set on a stage raised around 5 feet from the ground, the sea of upturned faces may indeed have registered as something akin to wide-mouthed fish. Those who had paid to sit in the raised galleries would also have shared in this image, which clearly became popular enough to stick until this day. They were known to misbehave and are commonly believed to have thrown food such as fruit and nuts at characters they did not like, although there is no evidence of this. They would watch the plays from the cramped pits with sometimes over 500 people standing there.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. groundling

   A loach or loche.

Matched Categories

1. • Playgoer

How to pronounce groundling?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say groundling in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of groundling in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of groundling in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=groundling
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Groundling
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=groundling
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundling
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groundling
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=groundling
8. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=groundling