groin

[groin]

See more synonyms for groin on Thesaurus.com

noun

Anatomy. the fold or hollow on either side of the front of the body where the thigh joins the abdomen.
the general region of this fold or hollow.
Architecture. the curved line or edge formed by the intersection of two vaults.

Also groyne. a small jetty extending from a shore to prevent beach erosion.

verb (used with object)

Architecture. to form with groins.

Origin of groin

1350–1400; earlier grine, Middle English grinde; compare Old English grynde abyss, akin to grund bottom, ground¹

Related formsun·groined, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for groin

genitals, inguen

Examples from the Web for groin

Contemporary Examples of groin

Merabet had already been immobilized by a bullet to the groin.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists
Michael Daly
January 9, 2015
He closed his eyes, imagining the virgins, imagining away the pain in his head and groin.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’
Asawin Suebsaeng
January 7, 2015
One of the pictures showed Vice President Dick Cheney outside the Oval Office, hands cupped in front of his groin.
Yes, Lincoln Would Have Done ‘Between Two Ferns’
Jeff Greenfield
March 12, 2014
In another case, a female officer kicked a 37-year-old woman in the groin.
In Los Angeles, Questions of Police Brutality Dog LAPD
Christine Pelisek
November 24, 2012
He scored big with Tommy, then was nearly deported for kicking an NYPD officer in the groin at the Fillmore.
Speed Read: 11 Most Shocking Moments From Pete Townshend’s ‘Who I Am’
Abby Haglage
October 8, 2012

Historical Examples of groin

But as he was making for the ladder a bullet struck him in the groin and he fell.
The Downfall
Emile Zola
It is often seen at the navel and sometimes in the groin as early as the second week.
The Mother and Her Child
William S. Sadler
Then the Nipe came in low, at an angle, trying for the groin.
Anything You Can Do ...
Gordon Randall Garrett
Pure air and cleanliness of groin and wound are to be obtained.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse
United States Department of Agriculture
His son John suffered from it in the groin and on the thigh; 2.
Observations on the Causes, Symptoms, and Nature of Scrofula or King's Evil, Scurvy, and Cancer
John Kent

British Dictionary definitions for groin

groin

noun

the depression or fold where the legs join the abdomenRelated adjective: inguinal
euphemistic the genitals, esp the testicles
a variant spelling (esp US) of groyne
architect a curved arris formed where two intersecting vaults meet

verb

(tr) architect to provide or construct with groins

Word Origin for groin

C15: perhaps from English grynde abyss; related to ground 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for groin

1590s, earlier grine (1530s), from Middle English grynde "groin" (c.1400), originally "depression in the ground," from Old English grynde "abyss," perhaps also "depression, hollow," from Proto-Germanic *grundus (see ground). Altered 16c. by influence of loin or obsolete groin "snout." The architectural groin "edge formed by the intersection of two vaults" is from 1725.

groin in Medicine

groin

[groin]

The crease or hollow at the junction of the inner part of each thigh with the trunk, together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals.