virgin ground
Never before cultivated
Virgin ground is land that has never been cultivated, built upon, or otherwise developed by humans.
The phrase emphasizes untouched natural state: The settlers cleared virgin ground for their homestead.
Figuratively, it describes any area of inquiry or endeavor not yet explored: Her research broke virgin ground in neuroscience.
- untouchedNot contacted or affected
- pristinePure and untouched
- wildernessUncultivated, uninhabited natural region
- untamed wildernessUnmanaged natural terrain
- frontierEdge of settlement
unexplored · terra incognita · fallow · raw · uncharted · soil · earth · breaking · plow · homestead · settlement · pioneer · land rush · unbroken · fertile · fresh · new · untilled
- gold mininggold pan, pan, panning, nuggets, gold nugget
- Unfamiliar Thingsstranger, unknown, mystery, enigma, novelty
- lacebobbin lace, chantilly, Chantilly, Chantilly lace, Irish lace
virgin, ground, virginal, virginity, virgins, grounds, grounded, grounding, groundless