I. bride ‧ groom /ˈbraɪdɡruːm, -ɡrʊm/ BrE AmE ( also groom ) noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: brydguma , from bryd ( ⇨ ↑ bride ) + guma 'man' ; influenced by ⇨ ↑ groom 2 (2) ]
a man at the time he gets married, or just after he is married
II. groom 1 /ɡruːm, ɡrʊm/ BrE AmE verb
1 . [transitive] to clean and brush an animal, especially a horse
2 . [transitive] to prepare someone for an important job or position in society by training them over a long period
groom somebody for something
Tim was being groomed for a managerial position.
groom somebody to do something
Clare’s been groomed to take her father’s place when he retires.
3 . [transitive] to take care of your own appearance by keeping your hair and clothes clean and tidy:
Her hair is always perfectly groomed.
⇨ ↑ well-groomed
4 . [transitive] to develop a friendship with a child, with the intention of starting a sexual relationship. This is done by adults, and is illegal when the child is younger than 16.
5 . [intransitive and transitive] if an animal grooms itself or another animal, it cleans its own fur and skin or that of the other animal
III. groom 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1: Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ bridegroom ]
[ Sense 2: Date: 1100-1200 ; Origin: Probably from an unrecorded Old English groma 'boy, man, male servant' ]
1 . a ↑ bridegroom
2 . someone whose job is to feed, clean, and take care of horses