groom

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɡɹum/ UK /ɡɹuːm/ See IPA manual

Freq #4488

Meanings

1

verb
To clean and care for an animal's coat by brushing it.

She grooms the horses every morning.
2

verb
To make yourself look neat and tidy.

He spent ages grooming himself before the interview.
3

verb
To prepare and train someone for a future role.

The manager is grooming her to take over the company.
4

noun
A person whose job is to look after horses.

The groom led the horse back to its stable.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to make yourself look neat... neaten

3 verb · to prepare and train... train

4 noun · a person whose job is to... ostlerhorsekeeper

Word family

Forms groomedgroominggrooms

Derived forms bridegroomgroom-in-waitinggroom-portergroomedgroomeegroomergroomerygroominggroomletgroomlingherdgroommisgroom

Etymology

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”) w…

grom Middle English *grōm Old English *grōaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# groom

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɡɹum/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡɹuːm/
**Frequency rank:** 4488

## Meanings
1. To clean and care for an animal's coat by brushing it.
2. To make yourself look neat and tidy.
3. To prepare and train someone for a future role.
4. A person whose job is to look after horses.

## Examples
- She grooms the horses every morning.
- He spent ages grooming himself before the interview.
- The manager is grooming her to take over the company.
- The groom led the horse back to its stable.

## Derived Forms
- bridegroom
- groom-in-waiting
- groom-porter
- groomed
- groomee
- groomer
- groomery
- grooming
- groomlet
- groomling
- herdgroom
- misgroom

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: grom
- Root: *grōm
- Root: *grōaną

## Etymology
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”) w…

## AI Etymology
Groom comes 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”). In current use, the main senses are “To clean and care for an animal's coat by brushing it” and “To make yourself look neat and tidy”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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