GROOM

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does groom mean? 

• GROOM (noun)
  The noun GROOM has 3 senses:

1. a man participant in his own marriage ceremony

2. someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses

3. a man who has recently been married

  Familiarity information: GROOM used as a noun is uncommon.

• GROOM (verb)
  The verb GROOM has 3 senses:

1. educate for a future role or function

2. give a neat appearance to

3. care for one's external appearance

  Familiarity information: GROOM used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GROOM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A man participant in his own marriage ceremony

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

bridegroom; groom

Hypernyms ("groom" is a kind of...):

participant; player (someone who takes part in an activity)

Holonyms ("groom" is a member of...):

wedding; wedding party (a party of people at a wedding)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

groom; hostler; ostler; stableboy; stableman

Hypernyms ("groom" is a kind of...):

hand; hired hand; hired man (a hired laborer on a farm or ranch)

Derivation:

groom (give a neat appearance to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A man who has recently been married

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

bridegroom; groom

Hypernyms ("groom" is a kind of...):

honeymooner; newlywed (someone recently married)

• GROOM (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they groom    ... he / she / it grooms   
Past simple: groomed   
Past participle: groomed   
-ing form: grooming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Educate for a future role or function

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

groom; prepare; train

Context example:

They trained him to be a warrior

Hypernyms (to "groom" is one way to...):

educate (give an education to)

Verb group:

prepare; train (undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession)

develop; educate; prepare; train (create by training and teaching)

check; condition; discipline; train (develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "groom"):

dispose; qualify (make fit or prepared)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

grooming (activity leading to skilled behavior)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give a neat appearance to

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

curry; dress; groom

Context example:

dress the horses

Hypernyms (to "groom" is one way to...):

beautify; embellish; fancify; prettify (make more beautiful)

Verb group:

arrange; coif; coiffe; coiffure; do; dress; set (arrange attractively)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They groom the animals

Derivation:

groom (someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Care for one's external appearance

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

groom; neaten

Context example:

He is always well-groomed

Hypernyms (to "groom" is one way to...):

beautify; embellish; fancify; prettify (make more beautiful)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "groom"):

clean; cleanse (clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing)

shave (remove body hair with a razor)

comb; comb out; disentangle (smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb)

arrange; coif; coiffe; coiffure; do; dress; set (arrange attractively)

gel; mousse (apply a styling gel to)

pomade (apply pomade to (hair))

clean up (make oneself clean, presentable or neat)

make up (apply make-up or cosmetics to one's face to appear prettier)

manicure (care for (one's hand) by cutting and shaping the nails, etc.)

barber (perform the services of a barber: cut the hair and/or beard of)

pedicure (care for one's feet by cutting and shaping the nails, etc.)

do up; doll up; glam up; pretty up (use special care in dressing, making-up, etc.)

slick up; smarten up; spruce; spruce up (dress and groom with particular care, as for a special occasion)

perfume; scent (apply perfume to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

grooming (the activity of getting dressed; putting on clothes)

 Context examples 

Then, with the aid of the groom and the stable-boy, they had conveyed their injured mistress to her room.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Hunter waited until his fellow-grooms had returned, when he sent a message to the trainer and told him what had occurred.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I call him mine, but really old Toller, my groom, is the only man who can do anything with him.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He intends to send his groom into Somersetshire immediately for it, she added, and when it arrives we will ride every day.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

It was a harness, such as he had seen the grooms put on the horses at home.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I asked one or two of the grooms and helpers whom I saw around if they could tell me anything about the empty house.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

All went right, and the groom lay snoring with his hand upon the golden saddle.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The questionnaire contains 8 categories of 46 items; dressing and grooming, arising, eating, walking, hygiene, reaching, grip, and activities.

(Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index Questionnaire, NCI Thesaurus)

In the High Street of Lyndhurst the wayfarers had to pick their way, for the little town was crowded with the guardsmen, grooms, and yeomen prickers who were attached to the King's hunt.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A swarm of ostlers and grooms had rushed out to us, and my uncle, throwing down the reins, gathered Fidelio on his cushion from under the seat.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)