Link Centre Dictionary

groom

UK/ɡɹuːm/ US/ɡɹʉwm/ common
verb (3) noun (3)

verb

1.

prepare (someone) for a future role or function

  • “He is grooming his son to become his successor”
  • “The prince was prepared to become King one day”
  • “They trained him to be a warrior”
Synonyms
2.

give a neat appearance to

  • “groom the dogs”
  • “dress the horses”
Synonyms
3.

care for one''s external appearance

  • “He is always well-groomed”
Synonyms

noun

1.

a man participant in his own marriage ceremony

Synonyms
2.
3.

a man who has recently been married

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English grom, grome (“man-child, boy, youth”), of uncertain origin. Apparently related to Middle Dutch grom (“boy”), Old Icelandic grómr, gromr (“man, manservant, boy”), Old French gromme (“manservant”), and also to Middle Dutch grom (“fish guts”), Middle Low German grôm (“fish guts”), from the same Proto-Germanic root. Possibly from Old English *grōm, from Proto-West Germanic *grōm (“swollen belly, stomach tumour, womb-child, fish roe, fish guts”), from Proto-Germanic *grōaną (“to grow”). Alternative etymology describes Middle English grom, grome as an alteration of gome (“man”) with an intrusive r (also found in bridegroom, hoarse, cartridge, etc.), with the Middle Dutch and Old Icelandic cognates following similar variation of their respective forms.

Phrases

  • Groom of the Stool
  • head groom
  • teakettle groom

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.