aground

What it means

1. not comparablenauticalResting on the bottom.

   The ship is currently aground at West Arm in Horseshoe Harbour, near Mawson Station where it was undertaking a resupply mission.

   2016 February 25, Paul Karp, “Aurora Australis icebreaker runs aground during blizzard in Antarctica”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2022

2. broadlynot comparableat a loss, ruined, with no way out

In a sentence

The ship is currently aground at West Arm in Horseshoe Harbour, near Mawson Station where it was undertaking a resupply mission.

2016 February 25, Paul Karp, “Aurora Australis icebreaker runs aground during blizzard in Antarctica”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2022

Where it comes from

1. Middle Englishagrounde
2. Englishaground

From Middle English agrounde, on grounde (“on ground”), equivalent to a- + ground.