groom

1 of 2

noun

1
2
a
: a person responsible for the feeding, exercising, and stabling of horses
b(1)
archaic : manservant
(2)
: one of several officers of the English royal household
3
archaic : man, fellow

groom

2 of 2

verb

groomed; grooming; grooms

transitive verb

1
: to clean and maintain the appearance of (an animal)
especially : to maintain the health and condition of the coat of (a horse, dog, etc.) by brushing, combing, currying, or similar attention
2
: to make neat or attractive
an impeccably groomed person
3
a
: to make (someone) ready for a specific objective : prepare
was being groomed as a presidential candidate
b
: to build a trusting relationship with (a minor) in order to exploit them especially for nonconsensual sexual activity

intransitive verb

: to groom oneself

Examples of groom in a Sentence

Verb The horses are being groomed for the competition. She spent hours grooming herself. She always seems to be perfectly groomed and neatly dressed. He is being groomed to take over the company.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Guy is leaving the details to the bride and groom, but helping with some bigger-picture aspects. Ana Calderone, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024 The bride and groom were dropped off separately to walk through the tent with their parents and Augusta prior to guests’ arrival. Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
Adam Bernardin, who has a Giant Schnauzer, tells PEOPLE that every breed is different, and so are the grooming rituals. Marina Watts, People.com, 28 Nov. 2024 Signs that your feline loves you include head-butting, purring, kneading, slow blinking, close proximity to you, grooming and bringing you gifts. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for groom 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English grom

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of groom was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near groom

Cite this Entry

“Groom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groom. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

groom

1 of 2 noun
1
a
archaic : a male servant
b
: a person in charge of horses
2

groom

2 of 2 verb
1
: to clean and keep up the appearance of (as the coat of a horse or dog)
2
: to make neat, attractive, or acceptable

More from Merriam-Webster on groom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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