groom
groom Lexical Profile
groom Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A man on his wedding day, or just before and after the event; a bridegroom.
"The groom waited nervously at the altar as the music began to play."
A person employed to take care of horses and stables.
"The head groom ensured that all the thoroughbreds were fed and brushed before dawn."
• verb
To brush and clean the coat of a horse, dog, or other animal.
"She takes her poodle to the salon every month to have its coat professionally groomed."
To give a neat and tidy appearance to oneself or someone else.
"The actors were carefully groomed and dressed before stepping onto the red carpet."
To prepare or train someone for a particular purpose, career, or leadership position.
"The senior partner has been grooming her protégé to eventually take over the firm."
To build a manipulative, trusting relationship with a child or vulnerable person in order to exploit or abuse them.
"Online safety workshops teach parents how to recognize the warning signs of predators trying to groom minors."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'groom' as a verb traditionally means to clean an animal or prepare a successor for a role, in contemporary usage it also carries a severe negative connotation referring to the predatory manipulation of a child or vulnerable person.
• Rhymes for groom
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating from Middle English 'grome', meaning a boy or male servant, of uncertain origin. Its sense as a man about to be married developed in the 16th century by folk etymology altering Old English 'brydguma' (literally 'bride-man') into 'bridegroom'.