groundling

Meaning

1. Any of various plants or animals living on or near the ground, as a benthic fish or bottom feeder, especially:
2. Any of various plants or animals living on or near the ground, as a benthic fish or bottom feeder, especially:
3. Any of various plants or animals living on or near the ground, as a benthic fish or bottom feeder, especially:
4. Any of various plants or animals living on or near the ground, as a benthic fish or bottom feeder, especially:
5. Any of various plants or animals living on or near the ground, as a benthic fish or bottom feeder, especially
6. An audience member in the cheap section (usually standing; originally in Elizabethan theater).
7. (broadly) A person of uncultivated or uncultured taste.
8. (slang) One who is confined to the ground, especially:
9. One who is confined to the ground, especially:
10. One who is confined to the ground, especially
11. Adam, before eating the apple of knowledge of good and evil (emphasizing his creation from the ground).

Synonyms

gudgeon

loach

Translations

mosquetero

Etymology

Cognate with Old English: grundling

In summary

From ground + -ling. Compare Old English grundling (“a groundling fish, grundel”).