groove

[groov]

noun

1. a long, narrow cut or indentation in a surface, as the cut in a board to receive the tongue of another board tongue-and-groove joint, a furrow, or a natural indentation on an organism.

2. the track or channel of a phonograph record for the needle or stylus.

3. a fixed routine.

   to get into a groove.

   Synonyms: pattern, habit, rut

4. Printing.,  the furrow at the bottom of a piece of type.

5. Slang.,  an enjoyable time or experience.

verb (used with object)

grooved, grooving 

1. to cut a groove in; furrow.

2. Slang.

   1. to appreciate and enjoy.

   2. to please immensely.

verb (used without object)

grooved, grooving 

1. Slang.

   1. to take great pleasure; enjoy oneself.

      He was grooving on the music.

   2. to get along or interact well.

2. to fix in a groove.

groove

/ ɡruːv /

noun

1. a long narrow channel or furrow, esp one cut into wood by a tool

2. the spiral channel, usually V-shaped, in a gramophone record See also microgroove

3. one of the spiral cuts in the bore of a gun

4. anatomy any furrow or channel on a bodily structure or part; sulcus

5. mountaineering a shallow fissure in a rock face or between two rock faces, forming an angle of more than 120°

6. a settled existence, routine, etc, to which one is suited or accustomed, esp one from which it is difficult to escape

7. slang,  an experience, event, etc, that is groovy

8. 1. jazz playing well and apparently effortlessly, with a good beat, etc

   2. fashionable

verb

1. (tr) to form or cut a groove in

2. old-fashioned,  (intr) to enjoy oneself or feel in rapport with one's surroundings

3. (intr) jazz to play well, with a good beat, etc

Other Word Forms

• grooveless adjective
• groovelike adjective
• groover noun
• regroove verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of groove¹

1350–1400; Middle English grofe, groof mining shaft; cognate with Middle Dutch groeve, Dutch groef, German Grube pit, ditch; akin to grave ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of groove¹

C15: from obsolete Dutch groeve, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German gruoba pit, Old Norse grof

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the groove,

   1. in perfect functioning order.

   2. in the popular fashion; up-to-date.

      If you want to be in the groove this summer, you'll need a bikini.

see in the groove.

Example Sentences

On the floors of many valleys and craters, swirling, grooved patterns reveal where icy material once moved during an earlier martian ice age.

Read more on Science Daily

He’s a master of the danceable groove that puts a lump in your throat, and his music is both expansive and down-to-earth.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This Argentina team have bona fide stars, a passionate heart and the ability to beat anyone if they get into their groove.

Read more on BBC

Radiohead's secret sauce has always been their rhythm section - who manage to locate sinewy, danceable grooves even when presented with their bandmate's most challenging material.

Read more on BBC

When it comes to building habits, Mr. Thompson, the CEO of the Atlantic magazine, observes that repetition can “create grooves in our minds that make it easier to do the same thing again.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• trench