grooming
Americannoun
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the care of a body and its physical appearance, such as the personal hygiene routine of brushing one’s teeth or combing one’s hair, or the washing, brushing, etc., of a dog or horse.
Grooming your dogs at home is less expensive than taking them to the groomer, if you can stand the wet dog smell and the hair that ends up everywhere.
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the act or result of preparing a trail for a specific use, such as skiing, biking, or hiking.
Donation boxes have been posted at each trail to cover their grooming and other maintenance costs.
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the act or process of preparing someone to fill a position or role or to undertake an activity.
The grooming of new personnel to handle additional responsibilities requires team leaders who will act as mentors and share constructive feedback.
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an act or instance of engaging in behaviors or practices intended to gradually condition or emotionally manipulate a victim over time, as through friendship, gifts, flattery, etc., in order to entrap the person in a sexually abusive or predatory relationship.
The ongoing targeting and grooming of minors online shows that our safety protocols for children on the internet are insufficient.
Etymology
Origin of grooming
First recorded in 1810–20 grooming for def. 1 and in 1985–90 grooming for def. 4; groom ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sales of beauty products, grooming and fabric and home care increased the most.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
An ex-police detective who led the initial investigation into grooming gangs in Oxford agrees.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Across from the main entertaining spaces sits a six-stall barn complete with an executive office, staff quarters, three grooming stations, a feed kitchen, and storage.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Former senior detective Simon Morton, who led the initial grooming investigation in Oxford, accepts both he and his force failed at first to understand what was happening.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
At the end of the day the baboons preferred social activities: grooming, entertaining infants, lounging in friendly groups.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
