groom

American  

[groom, groom] / grum, grʊm /

noun

1. a bridegroom.

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

3. any of several officers of the English royal household.

4. Archaic. a manservant.

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verb (used with object)

1. to tend carefully as to person and dress; make neat or tidy.

2. to clean, brush, and otherwise tend (a horse, dog, etc.).

3. 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.

4. to prepare for a position, election, etc..

   Both of these young goalies are being groomed for roles in the NHL.

5. 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.

6. (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.

groom British  

/ ɡruːm, ɡrʊm /

noun

1. a person employed to clean and look after horses

2. See bridegroom

3. any of various officers of a royal or noble household

4. archaic a male servant or attendant

5. archaic a young man

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verb

1. to make or keep (clothes, appearance, etc) clean and tidy

2. to rub down, clean, and smarten (a horse, dog, etc)

3. to train or prepare for a particular task, occupation, etc

   to groom someone for the Presidency

4. to win the confidence of (a victim) in order to a commit sexual assault on him or her

Other Word Forms

• groomer noun
• grooming noun
• groomish adjective
• groomishly adverb
• nongrooming adjective
• regroom verb (used with object)
• ungroomed adjective

Etymology

Origin of groom

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

Example Sentences

The son of one of Malaysia's founding fathers, Najib Razak was groomed for the prime minister's post from a young age.

From Barron's

Todd Combs, a former hedge-fund manager once groomed to help lead Berkshire’s investment portfolio, just left.

From The Wall Street Journal

Scotland's justice secretary Angela Constance is to be investigated over whether she breached the ministerial code in her remarks about a grooming gangs expert.

From BBC

The evidence session came after the mother of a grooming gangs survivor, known as Taylor, said she no longer had confidence in the justice secretary.

From BBC

Opposition parties have accused her of misrepresenting the position of a leading expert on grooming gangs, Prof Alexis Jay, and misleading parliament.

From BBC

Related Words

• comb
• educate
• prim
• tend