Aground refers to the state or condition where a watercraft, like a ship, boat or submarine, is either unintentionally or intentionally resting on or touching the ground or the bottom of a body of water rather than floating in the water. This can occur due to low tides, navigational errors, or intentionally in situations like a drying harbor. The phenomenon can lead to situations from harmlessly running aground on a sandy beach to severe groundings on rocky shores, possibly causing damages to the hull and endangering the vessel's stability.

1. The fishing boat was left aground at low tide. 2. After the storm, several small yachts were found aground along the shoreline. 3. The cargo vessel ran aground on the coral reef, causing a major oil spill. 4. The children's homemade raft went aground when they ventured too close to the shallow part of the river. 5. His kayaking trip came to an abrupt halt when he found himself aground on a hidden sandbar.

Aground is a term commonly used in seafaring to describe a situation where a boat or ship is resting on or touching the ground or bottom, rather than afloat. This can happen unintentionally when the boat is caught in shallow waters and is unable to navigate around rocks, sandbars, or other obstructions. In other cases, it can be done deliberately in a process known as "careening", where a ship is intentionally grounded in a harbor to inspect and repair the hull of the ship. This was a common practice in the age of sailing ships, before dry docks were invented - particularly with wooden vessels. Visitors to tidal shores can sometimes observe smaller boats resting aground at low tide, waiting for the next high tide to float and continue their journey. So whenever you're at a harbor and see some boats resting on the ground, you can impress your friends with this fun fact!