groove

1 of 2

noun

1
: a long narrow channel or depression
2
a
: a fixed routine : rut
b
: a situation suited to one's abilities or interests : niche
3
: top form
a great talker when he is in the groove
4
: the middle of the strike zone in baseball where a pitch is most easily hit
a fastball right in the groove
5
: an enjoyable or exciting experience
6
: a pronounced enjoyable rhythm

groove

2 of 2

verb

grooved; grooving

transitive verb

1
a
: to make a groove in
b
: to join by a groove
2
: to perfect by repeated practice
grooved her golf swing
3
: to throw (a pitch) in the groove

intransitive verb

1
: to become joined or fitted by a groove
2
: to form a groove
3
: to enjoy oneself intensely
4
: to interact harmoniously
contemporary minds and rock groove togetherBenjamin DeMott
groover noun

Examples of groove in a Sentence

Noun the grooves on a vinyl record The door slides along a groove in the doorframe. He's a great pitcher when he's in a groove. She hasn't yet found her groove. They've gotten stuck in a groove in their jobs. Verb We grooved to the beat. if you groove that piece of wood, we should be able to fit this smaller board into it
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
Focusing on what orders should look like put her into a groove. Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025 But as the supercontinent finally splintered apart around 200 million years ago and the near-endless age of dinosaurs found its groove, the planet recovered to conditions more hospitable to animal life. Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
After a sacrifice bunt and Sears’ eighth strikeout — one shy of a season high — the 29-year-old left-hander grooved a middle-in sweeper for Blaine Crim to yank out to left, some 439 feet from the plate. Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025 The event is recognized as one of the top music festivals in the South, but Standard Deluxe is grooving all year long with a calendar full of concerts. Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for groove

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English grove pit, cave, from Middle Dutch groeve; akin to Old High German gruoba pit, cave, Old English grafan to dig — more at grave entry 5

First Known Use

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1686, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of groove was in 1659

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Cite this Entry

“Groove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groove. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

groove

1 of 2 noun
1
: a long narrow channel made in a surface
2
: a fixed routine : rut
3
: top form

groove

2 of 2 verb
grooved; grooving
1
a
: to form a groove in
b
: to become grooved
2
: to enjoy very much

Medical Definition

groove

noun
: a long narrow depression occurring naturally on the surface of an organism or an anatomical part

More from Merriam-Webster on groove

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