groin
groin Lexical Profile
groin Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The area of the body between the abdomen and the upper thigh on either side, including the crease where the trunk meets the legs, or the region of the external genitals.
"The sprinter had to withdraw from the championship race after straining a muscle in his groin during the warm-up."
The curved edge or rib formed by the intersection of two vaults in a ceiling or roof.
"The medieval cathedral features high stone vaults with intricately carved bosses where each groin meets."
American A low wall or sturdy barrier of wood, stone, or concrete built out from a riverbank or seashore into the water to check erosion and trap drifting sand (usually spelled 'groyne' in British English).
"Coastal engineers constructed a series of stone groins along the shoreline to prevent winter storms from washing away the beach."
• verb
To build or form with intersecting vaults or ribs (in architecture).
"The master masons groined the ceiling of the crypt to distribute the immense weight of the stone floor above."
• Rhymes for groin
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating to the late 14th century, the word likely developed from Old English grynde ('abyss' or 'depression'), originally referring to the natural fold or hollow between the torso and the thigh.