English Explanatory Dictionary

groom

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A man who is about to marry.
noun
  1. A person who looks after horses.
  2. One of several officers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department.
  3. A male servant, or more generally, a common man.
  4. A brushing or cleaning, as of a dog or horse.
verb
  1. To attend to one's appearance and clothing.
  2. To care for (horses or other animals) by brushing and cleaning them.
  3. To prepare (someone) for an event
  4. To prepare (someone) for election or appointment.
  5. To gain, or attempt to gain, the trust of a child or vulnerable person in order to take advantage of or exploit them, especially sexually (if under the age of consent).
  6. In agile software development, to review and prioritize the items in the development backlog.
  7. To prepare (a ski slope) for skiers by packing down the snow.
name
  1. An English surname originating as an occupation for a servant.
  2. A town in Carson County, Texas, United States.

Pronunciation

/ˈɡɹuːm/ [ˈɡɹʷʊu̯m] En-us-groom.ogg /ˈɡɹʉm/ [ˈɡɹʉm] [ˈɡɹʷʉu̯m] /ˈɡɹʉːm/ [ˈɡɹʷʊ̈ʉ̯m]

Word forms

groom grooms grooming groomed Groome

Etymology

1604, short for bridegroom (“husband-to-be”), from Middle English brydgrome, alteration (with intrusive r) of earlier bridegome (“bridegroom”), from Old English brȳdguma (“bridegroom”), from brȳd (“bride”) + guma (“man, hero”). In Middle English, the second element was re-analyzed as or influenced by grom, grome (“attendant”). Guma derives from Proto-Germanic *gumô (“man, person”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰǵʰm̥mō; it is cognate to Icelandic gumi (cf. Icelandic brúðgumi) and Norwegian gume and, ultimately, human.

Synonyms

bridegroom fettler horsekeeper ostler sais mafoo primp

Derived words

groomlet groomling brideangroom child groom groomal groomdom groomhood groomship groomsmaid groomsman groomswear groom-to-be groomy groomzilla groom-in-waiting Groom of the Stool groom-porter head groom herdgroom teakettle groom undergroom bridegroom groomed groomee groomer groomery grooming misgroom overgroom regroom Groom Lake
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