1604, short for bridegroom (“husband-to-be”), from Middle English brydgrome, alteration (with intrusive r) of earlier bridegome (“bridegroom”), from Old English brȳdguma (“bridegroom”), from brȳd (“bride”) + guma (“man, hero”). In Middle English, the second element was re-analyzed as or influenced by grom, grome (“attendant”). Guma derives from Proto-Germanic *gumô (“man, person”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰǵʰm̥mō; it is cognate to Icelandic gumi (cf. Icelandic brúðgumi) and Norwegian gume and, ultimately, human.
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”) with an intrusive r (also found in bridegroom, hoarse, cartridge, etc.), with the Middle Dutch and Old Icelandic cognates following similar variation of their respective forms.
Meanings
A person who looks after horses.
Toward the end of the war, Benoit was sent off on his own with forged papers; he wound up working as a horse groom at a chalet in the Loire valley. Mandelbrot describes this harrowing youth with great sangfroid. 2013 January 14, Brian Hayes, “Father of Fractals”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 1, page 62:
One of several officers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department.
the groom of the chamber; the groom of the stole
(archaic) A male servant, or more generally, a common man.
Going into the hall he saw a handsome groom, in a braided livery and a bear fur cape, holding a white fur cloak. 1901 [1878], chapter 19, in Constance Garnett, transl., Anna Karenina, translation of Анна Каренина (Anna Karenina) by Leo Tolstoy, part 4:
The needy groom, that never finger'd groat,
Would make a miracle of thus much coin … c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:
A brushing or cleaning, as of a dog or horse.
Give the mare a quick groom before you take her out.
gl palafreneiro (person who looks after horses) · ro grăjdar (person who looks after horses) · sk koniar (person who looks after horses) · ar سَائِس (person who looks after horses) · tr seyis (person who looks after horses) · cmn 馬伕 /马伕 (person who looks after horses) · grc ἱπποκόμος (person who looks after horses) · ru ко́нюх (person who looks after horses) · sh konjùšār (person who looks after horses) · it cavallaio (person who looks after horses) · hu lovász (person who looks after horses) · ga grúmaeir (person who looks after horses) · ang horshierde (person who looks after horses) · sh коњу̀ша̄р (person who looks after horses) · it stalliere (person who looks after horses) · la equīsō (person who looks after horses) · es almohazador (person who looks after horses) · pt estribeiro (person who looks after horses) · az atabaxan (person who looks after horses) · sk koniarka (person who looks after horses) · de Hengstmann (person who looks after horses) · de Stallknecht (person who looks after horses) · az sayis (person who looks after horses) · cs podkoní (person who looks after horses) · eo striglisto (person who looks after horses) · fr palefrenier (person who looks after horses) · fur cjavalâr (person who looks after horses) · ko 마부 (person who looks after horses) · cmn 馬夫 /马夫 (person who looks after horses) · fi tallirenki (person who looks after horses) · nb stallkar (person who looks after horses) · da staldkarl (person who looks after horses) · mk коњушар (person who looks after horses) · az mehtər (person who looks after horses) · sv stalldräng (person who looks after horses) · es palafrenero (person who looks after horses) · de Pferdeknecht (person who looks after horses) · he סַיָּס (person who looks after horses) · ca cavallerissa (person who looks after horses) · sw saisi (person who looks after horses) · sv stalledräng (person who looks after horses) · ko 말꾼 (person who looks after horses) · el ιπποκόμος (person who looks after horses) · eo ĉevalisto (person who looks after horses) · pt cavalariço (person who looks after horses) · ca cavallerís (person who looks after horses) · bg коняр (person who looks after horses) · la agāsō (person who looks after horses) · fr groom (person who looks after horses) · zlw-osk lovás (person who looks after horses) · ga giolla stábla (person who looks after horses) · it palafreniere (person who looks after horses)
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”) with an intrusive r (also found in bridegroom, hoarse, cartridge, etc.), with the Middle Dutch and Old Icelandic cognates following similar variation of their respective forms.
Meanings
To attend to one's appearance and clothing.
(transitive) To care for (horses or other animals) by brushing and cleaning them.
2010 (April 20) "The Collection" s1e6 of TV series Justified
The wife didn't care about riding, but Owen did. Well, he cared about me. I went from doing everything — grooming, feeding, looking out — to being handed the reins of the most magnificent creatures ready to ride.
Rabbits show dominance by demanding to be groomed, while cats show dominance by grooming the other. A perfect relationship 💕 2026 July 5, @contemprainn.bsky.social, Bluesky (post), archived from the original on 06 Jul 2026:
(obsolete, transitive) To care for (horses or other animals) by feeding, currying and tending to them.
(transitive) To prepare (someone) for an event
It appears that Broderick's seconds, although cool, brave men, were entirely without experience in arranging a duel, and did not know that a man should be groomed for one as carefully as a horse is groomed for a race. 1912, The Contest for California in 1861: How Colonel E.D. Baker Saved the Pacific States to the Union, page 51
(transitive) To prepare (someone) for election or appointment.
It is of special interest to note the subjects considered as important to those who are being groomed for top administrative posts 1953, The President's Report to the Board of Regents for the Academic Year page 146
2012 (February 28) in "The Man Behind the Curtain" s3e7 of TV series Justified
I was the son he always wanted.
He groomed me to take over someday, but now Sammy's got the houses, the cars, the money, the juice.
India is run by gerontocrats and epigones: grey hairs and groomed heirs. 2013 May 11, “What a waste”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8835, page 12:
Edwin says the pin's already tripled in value!
Kid's got a head for business.
Grooming him to take over the empire one day.
Gotta keep it in the family. 2006, Donovan Grand Smith in "They Lurk Below" episode 24 (s2e11) of Ben 10
2009, Dani Johnson, Grooming the Next Generation for Success
2002, Clone High episode 1 - "Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand"
Our mission is to unfreeze those clones, send them back to high school, and secretly groom them to one day rule the world.
Failure to do so could mean world leaders just keep getting worse.
2023 in "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" episode 5 "Deux Amours" regarding Laurent
Daryl "But he's gonna be safe? I'm afraid those nuns raised him a little -- a little soft."
Losang "He'll be well looked after. Nurtured and groomed... to be the leader he's destined to be."
(transitive) To gain, or attempt to gain, the trust of a child or vulnerable person in order to take advantage of or exploit them, especially sexually (if under the age of consent).
2009, Suzanne Ost, Child Pornography and Sexual Grooming: Legal and Societal Responses
(transitive) In agile software development, to review and prioritize the items in the development backlog.
(transitive) To prepare (a ski slope) for skiers by packing down the snow.
ro țesăla (to care for animals) · da strigle (to care for animals) · cs hřebelcovat (to care for animals) · ar هَندَم (to attend to one's appearance) · de striegeln (to care for animals) · es almohazar (to care for animals) · bg утъпквам (to prepare a ski slope) · cs šlechtit (to attend to one's appearance) · mk се негува (to attend to one's appearance) · de ordnen (to attend to one's appearance) · pt aliciar (to attempt to gain the trust of a minor) · it azzimare (to attend to one's appearance) · bg чистя (to care for animals) · de präparieren (to prepare a ski slope) · mk негува (to care for animals) · de sich fein machen (to attend to one's appearance) · fi siistiytyä (to attend to one's appearance) · cs upravit (to prepare a ski slope) · it strigliare (to care for animals) · it rendersi presentabile (to attend to one's appearance) · de herausputzen (to attend to one's appearance) · mk тимари (to care for animals) · fi laittautua (to attend to one's appearance) · ota تیمارلمق (to care for animals) · es manipular pederastamente (to attempt to gain the trust of a minor) · de vorbereiten (to attend to one's appearance) · bg тимаря (to care for animals) · de Toilette machen (to attend to one's appearance) · de putzen (to care for animals) · tr tımarlamak (to care for animals) · de pflegen (to care for animals) · da pleje (to care for animals) · cs upravit se (to attend to one's appearance) · pl pielęgnować (to care for animals) · el περιποιούμαι ζώο (to care for animals) · fr préparer (to attend to one's appearance) · ar سَاس (to care for animals) · de pflegen (to attend to one's appearance) · fi sukia (to care for animals) · es acicalar (to attend to one's appearance) · bg оправям (to attend to one's appearance) · fr bichonner (to attend to one's appearance) · ro aranja (to attend to one's appearance) · it curare la propria persona (to attend to one's appearance) · sv groma (to attempt to gain the trust of a minor) · cs upravovat (to prepare a ski slope) · ro dichisi (to attend to one's appearance) · cs šlechtit se (to attend to one's appearance) · fi groomata (to attempt to gain the trust of a minor) · it curarsi (to attend to one's appearance) · ota تیمار ایتمك (to care for animals) · el ευπρεπίζω (to attend to one's appearance) · it curare il proprio aspetto (to attend to one's appearance) · nb røkte (to care for animals) · cs upravit (to attend to one's appearance) · de zurechtmachen (to attend to one's appearance) · it fare la toilette (to care for animals) · ro găti (to attend to one's appearance) · fi tampata (to prepare a ski slope) · cs česat (to care for animals) · mk се дотерува (to attend to one's appearance) · fi huolitella (to attend to one's appearance) · el περιποιούμαι (to attend to one's appearance) · gl rascar (to care for animals) · tr tımar etmek (to care for animals) · fr damer (to prepare a ski slope)