What is "groom"

Groom \Groom\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Groomed; p. pr. & vb. n. Grooming.] To tend or care for, or to curry or clean, as a, horse.

Groom \Groom\, n. [Cf. Scot. grome, groyme, grume, gome, guym, man, lover, OD. grom boy, youth; perh. the r is an insertion as in E. bridegroom, and the word is the same as AS. guma man. See Bridegroom.]

1. A boy or young man; a waiter; a servant; especially, a man or boy who has charge of horses, or the stable.
   --Spenser.

2. One of several officers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department; as, the groom of the chamber; the groom of the stole.

3. A man recently married, or about to be married; a bridegroom.
   --Dryden.

   Groom porter, formerly an officer in the English royal household, who attended to the furnishing of the king's lodgings and had certain privileges.

c.1200, grome "male child, boy;" c.1300 as "youth, young man." No known cognates in other Germanic languages. Perhaps from Old English *groma, related to growan "grow;" or from Old French grommet "servant" (compare Middle English gromet "ship's boy," early 13c.). Meaning "male servant who attends to horses" is from 1660s.

husband-to-be at a wedding, c.1600, short for bridegroom, in which the second element is Old English guma "man."

1809, from groom (n.1) in its secondary sense of "male servant who attends to horses." Transferred sense of "to tidy (oneself) up" is from 1843; figurative sense of "to prepare a candidate" is from 1887, originally in U.S. politics. Related: Groomed; grooming.

Etymology 1 n. A man who is about to become or has recently become part of a married couple. Short form of bridegroom. Etymology 2

n. A person who cares for horses. vb. 1 To attend to one's appearance and clothing. 2 To care for horses or other animals by brushing and cleaning them. 3 To prepare someone for election or appointment.

1. n. a man participant in his own marriage ceremony [syn: bridegroom]

2. someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses [syn: stableman, stableboy, hostler, ostler]

3. a man who has recently been married [syn: bridegroom]

1. v. prepare (someone) for a future role or function; "He is grooming his son to become his successor"; "The prince was prepared to become King one day"; "They trained him to be a warrior" [syn: prepare, train]

2. give a neat appearance to; "groom the dogs"; "dress the horses" [syn: dress, curry]

3. care for one's external appearance; "He is always well-groomed" [syn: neaten]

A groom is the short-form of bridegroom, a male participant in a wedding ceremony.

It may also refer to:

A groom or stable boy is a person who is responsible for some or all aspects of the management of horses and/or the care of the stables themselves. The term most often refers to a person who is the employee of a stable owner, but an owner of a horse may perform the duties of a groom, particularly if the owner only possesses a few horses.

Groom is a surname of English origin. Its English usage comes from the trade or profession, a person responsible for the feeding and care of horses, not to be confused with the much more socially distinguished roles in the English Royal Household of Groom of the Chamber, or Groom of the Privy Chamber, Groom of the Robes, Groom of the Stole, and Groom of the Stool.

Groom (full name and dates of birth and death unknown) was an English cricketer. Groom's batting style is unknown.

Groom made a single first-class appearance for Norfolk against Yorkshire in 1833 at Hyde Park Ground, Sheffield. In a match which Yorkshire won by 120 runs, Groom ended Norfolk's first-innings unbeaten on 1, while in their second-innings he was dismissed for a duck when he was caught by George Smith, though the dismissing bowler is not recorded on the match scorecard.