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
The best option would be to reach out, with or without permission, to touch the picture’s surface, tracing the whorls and the smeared grooves. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024 Another notable feature of the albums is that, along with these English lyrics, the music itself has a consistently Western groove, with no effort to include J-pop-like melodies. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
As the season rolls on, see if your favorite duo will be moving and grooving into next week. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2024 True to the reputation of its Moscow and Bodrum outposts, Birds Dubai turns into a nightclub after the show, with diners ending the evening on the dance floor while grooving to the DJ’s beats. Natasha Amar, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near groove

Cite this Entry

“Groove.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/groove. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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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