groove

1 of 2

noun

ˈgrüv 

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 together

—Benjamin DeMott

groover noun

Synonyms

Noun

• drill
• grind
• lockstep
• pattern
• rote
• routine
• rut
• treadmill

Verb

• score
• scribe
• seam

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

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Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The rod even has grooves to space out clothes properly. —WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023

As the band ratcheted the excitement up with its powerful grooves, the voltage in the air of club asia reached its peak. —Billboard Japan, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2023

Its non-slip bottom keeps it securely in place, while the indented design efficiently traps water within its grooves. —Samantha Booth, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2023

Plus, the reverse side of the tray works as a cutting board with a juice groove and rubber edges. —Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 8 Nov. 2023

This team has the chance to find a groove the next month. —J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023

Steve Jordan, a hugely accomplished session drummer whose history with the Stones goes back to Dirty Work, does a lovely job keeping the grooves relaxed and steady on the other tracks, but nobody, truly nobody, plays with the same unhurried shuffle as Watts. —Al Shipley, SPIN, 17 Oct. 2023

Plus, the heavy wood has grooves to catch any liquids. —Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2023

In addition to engraving, boards can be further customized with rubber feet and a juice groove. —Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2023

Verb

In addition to its trendy neckline, the dress has an elegant tie-waist and a flowy tiered skirt that’s practically made for moving and grooving on a dancefloor. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 22 Oct. 2023

For much of the performance, Mitchell sat in the second row of the auditorium, grooving to her own compositions (the seven-member Broadway band, conducted by Liam Robinson, provided accompaniment). —Peter Marks, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023

But that night’s set was wildly twisted hip-hop, with the musicians playing percussion and grooving in the back of the stage. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 24 July 2023

In addition to the faces and animals, grooves in one of the rocks were potentially used by Indigenous people in the area as a whetstone to sharpen their arrows. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Oct. 2023

There’s even a small camper trailer constructed from the company’s signature grooved aluminum. —Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2023

Remy then busted quite a move, which his mom encouraged by grooving along with him. —Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 19 Aug. 2023

Rather, there seems to be a sense that true movie fans can groove on both frequencies. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2023

Find vintage looks from a dozen vendors, bring your old clothes to participate in a clothing swap, learn about sustainable fashion and how to repair worn out clothes, or just get a tarot reading while grooving to a DJ. —Chris Richards, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

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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

Phrases Containing groove

• tongue and groove

• tongue and groove

Kids Definition

groove

1 of 2 noun

ˈgrüv 

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

ˈgrüv 

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