groom

[ groom, groom ]

See synonyms for: groom groomed grooming on Thesaurus.com

noun

a bridegroom.
a man or boy in charge of horses or the stable.

any of several officers of the English royal household.
Archaic. a manservant.

verb (used with object)

to tend carefully as to person and dress; make neat or tidy.
to clean, brush, and otherwise tend (a horse, dog, etc.).

to prepare (a trail) for a specific use, such as skiing, biking, or hiking: The resort is currently grooming 7 miles of cross-country ski trails for your enjoyment this winter.
to prepare for a position, election, etc.: Both of these young goalies are being groomed for roles in the NHL.
to condition or manipulate (a victim) emotionally over time, as through friendship, gifts, flattery, etc., in order to entrap the person in a sexually abusive or predatory relationship.
(of an animal) to tend (itself or another) by removing dirt, parasites, or specks of other matter from the fur, skin, feathers, etc.: often performed as a social act.

Origin of groom

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English grom, grome, groum “infant boy, boy, youth, groom”; further origin obscure; akin to grow

Other words from groom

groom·er, noun
groom·ish, adjective
groom·ish·ly, adverb
non·groom·ing, adjective
re·groom, verb (used with object)
un·groomed, adjective

Words Nearby groom

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use groom in a sentence

Instead, for the select few in attendance, it was almost like celebrating a wedding without the bride and groom.
What You Didn’t See on TV at the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony | Sean Gregory, Alice Park and Aria Chen/Tokyo | July 23, 2021 | Time
As a medical student in Richmond, Eleanor Love showed up to as many wedding venues as possible, even when she didn’t know the bride and groom.
For years, this doctor has showed up after strangers’ weddings and — with permission — brought flowers back to her patients | Kellie B. Gormly | July 9, 2021 | Washington Post
The bad news for guests—a group not mutually exclusive from the brides and grooms, especially those of a certain age who find themselves on the wedding circuit—is there may not be, at least not for a while.
2021 Could Be the Biggest Wedding Year Ever. But Are Guests Ready to Gather? | Eliana Dockterman | May 29, 2021 | Time
Many brides and grooms have sunk a significant amount of money into rescheduling their events.
2021 Could Be the Biggest Wedding Year Ever. But Are Guests Ready to Gather? | Eliana Dockterman | May 29, 2021 | Time
Brides and grooms have been forced to become amateur public-health prognosticators.
2021 Could Be the Biggest Wedding Year Ever. But Are Guests Ready to Gather? | Eliana Dockterman | May 29, 2021 | Time

Women threw rice on peshmerga fighters, a tradition practiced at Syrian weddings when neighbors welcome the bride and groom.
Remembering Kobani Before The Siege | Mustafa Abdi, Movements.Org, Advancing Human Rights | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A couple on Merwedeplein got married on this day, and a friend captured the bride and groom leaving their apartment.
Anne Frank’s Amsterdam | Russell Shorto | October 12, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Manhattan was the patient groom in my unspoken arranged marriage, the implicit goal of any tri-state suburban childhood.
I Can’t Shake Hawaii: An Ode to Returning to Places You’ve Been Before | Debra A. Klein | October 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The charges against the groom as well as against a bridesmaid were dropped.
Anthony Weiner Has Some Competition | Michael Daly | August 4, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
And Republicans have just founded a new organization to groom minorities in the party.
Homophobia in GOP Makes It Hard for Party to Compete Nationally | Peter Beinart | February 19, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
A groom is a chap, that a gentleman keeps to clean his 'osses, and be blown up, when things go wrong.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
Throwing up the window, he saw his young son attempting to mount the groom's pony: the latter objecting.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
Lady Hartledon driving, the boy-groom sitting beside her, and Eddie's short legs striding the pony.
Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
But the groom who took care of them sprang instantly after them, and kept swimming beside them, guiding and cheering them.
The Nursery, January 1873, Vol. XIII. | Various
A former groom; born about 1767; short, thickset, wife-led, one-eyed.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z | Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

British Dictionary definitions for groom

groom

/ (ɡruːm, ɡrʊm) /

noun

a person employed to clean and look after horses
See bridegroom

any of various officers of a royal or noble household
archaic a male servant or attendant
archaic, poetic a young man

verb(tr)

to make or keep (clothes, appearance, etc) clean and tidy
to rub down, clean, and smarten (a horse, dog, etc)

to train or prepare for a particular task, occupation, etc: to groom someone for the Presidency
to win the confidence of (a victim) in order to a commit sexual assault on him or her

Origin of groom

C13 grom manservant; perhaps related to Old English grōwan to grow

Derived forms of groom

groomer, noun
grooming, noun

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

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