Library / English Dictionary

GROOM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A man who has recently been married

Synonyms:

bridegroom; groom

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

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

honeymooner; newlywed (someone recently married)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A man participant in his own marriage ceremony

Synonyms:

bridegroom; groom

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

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 3

Meaning:

Someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses

Synonyms:

groom; hostler; ostler; stableboy; stableman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

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)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Care for one's external appearance

Example:

He is always well-groomed

Synonyms:

groom; neaten

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give a neat appearance to

Example:

dress the horses

Synonyms:

curry; dress; groom

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

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:

Educate for a future role or function

Example:

They trained him to be a warrior

Synonyms:

groom; prepare; train

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) Categories usually need help from another person - Dressing and grooming.

(HAQ-DI - Help From Another Person - Dressing and Grooming, NCI Thesaurus)

Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) Dressing and grooming: are you able to shampoo your hair?

(HAQ-DI - Able to Shampoo Hair, NCI Thesaurus)

The Smooth variety has a one-inch coat that needs very little grooming.

(Collie, NCI Thesaurus)

Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) Dressing and grooming: are you able to dress yourself, including tying shoelaces and doing buttons?

(HAQ-DI - Able to Dress Yourself, NCI Thesaurus)

“He dined in town yesterday, and drove down in the phaeton by himself,” said Tiffey, “having sent his own groom home by the coach, as he sometimes did, you know—”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

As she had saved Dick's life, she now saved the groom's.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

She had before conjectured him to be a stranger like themselves, and determined that a well-looking groom, who was strolling about near the two inns as they came back, should be his servant.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

The horses are splendid, and the men, especially the grooms, ride well, but the women are stiff, and bounce, which isn't according to our rules.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Oh! I believe I was relating to her some ridiculous stories of an old Irish groom of my uncle's.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Both individuals made large gains in feeding, dressing, bathing, and grooming.

(Spinal cord stimulation helps paralyzed people move hands, NIH)