bootleg ground

noun

A type of false ground (earth) in electrical circuits, created by wiring the grounding circuit (green wire, bare copper wire) to the neutral circuit (cold wire, white wire).

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Meanings

nounbootleg ground (plural bootleg grounds)

plural bootleg grounds

  1. USA type of false ground (earth) in electrical circuits, created by wiring the grounding circuit (green wire, bare copper wire) to the neutral circuit (cold wire, white wire).

Origin

From bootleg (“fake”) + ground (“earthing”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German die klassische Nullung
  • die klassische NullungTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

bootleg ground. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bootleg%20ground

MLA

“bootleg ground.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bootleg%20ground. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bootleg ground,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bootleg%20ground.

Source: bootleg ground on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.