ground sea (groundse)

A swell of the sea occurring in a calm, and with no other indication of a previous gale. The sea rises in huge billows and dashes against the shore with a loud roaring. The swell is probably due to the gales called "northers," which suddenly rise and rage from off the capes of Virginia round to the Gulf of Mexico; it is also doubtle sometimes caused by distant earthquakes. groundsell (ground' sel), n. [Formerly also groundswell, groundeswell; Se. dial. grundie swally, grundies wallow, and even grinning - swal low; early mod. E. also grones well, greneswel (Levins, 1570);