I. ˈgrüv noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English grofe, groof; akin to Old High German gruoba pit, cave, Old Norse grōf, Gothic groba pit, cave, Old English grafan to dig — more at grave
1. dialect England : a mining shaft : mine
2.
a. : a long narrow hollow or channel made artificially in a surface: as
(1) : the rectangular rabbet in the edge of a board designed to receive the tongue of another board in matching
(2) : one of the spiral cuts of rifling
(3) : the indentation on the bottom of a piece of printing type between the feet — compare nick
(4) : one of the cuts made across the back of an unbound hand-sewn book designed to receive the cords that secure the covers of the book — called also kerf
(5) : the track on a phonograph record along which the stylus travels
b. : a long narrow depression occurring naturally on the surface of an organism or an anatomical part
c. : a long narrow furrow produced along a surface by a continuing erosive or otherwise wearing force (as of flowing water)
3.
a.
(1) : a fixed routine : settled course
had hoped that the daily life on the farm would slip back into orderly grooves — Ellen Glasgow
: habit , custom , practice
will get you into the writing groove — Cy Lance
(2) : an undeviating tiresomely predictable and often mechanical way of living or acting or thinking : rut
walled in by authority which saw to it that he moved in a prescribed groove — W.P.Webb
far too many of us feel safer in grooves — F.A.Swinnerton
fail to realize how often their thoughts revolve in ancient grooves and circles — Thomas Munro
b. : a situation (as a profession, a way of living or acting) best suited to one's abilities or interests : niche
found his groove in advertising — Newsweek
4. : an imaginary line from the pitcher to the catcher representing the course of a pitched ball in the game of baseball ; especially : such a line passing over the center of the plate about waist high — usually used with the
hurled the ball right down the groove
5.
a. : top form
after a couple of measures the jazz trio really got into the groove
a hot bath and a drink will put you back in the groove
it made no difference, when he was in the groove , what he chose to talk about — Henry Miller
b. : currently favored style — usually used in the phrase in the groove
a new song that's right in the groove
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to make a groove in : provide with a groove
a set of scenery that is grooved and quickly movable
(2) : to make a disc recording of
grooving a popular song as soon as it is written
b.
(1) : to join by a groove
wide boards that had been grooved together
(2) : to cause to be fixed into a groove : cause to be ingrained
a deeply grooved habit of honesty
c. : to hollow out in the form of a groove : furrow
the experience that has been grooved into a person
the years had grooved her mind that way — Bob Hope
2. : to execute (as the delivery of a ball, the swing of a golf club) with maximum control and effect
grooved the ball down the bowling alley
developing a grooved swing
especially : to pitch down the center of the groove
grooved a fast ball past the batter
intransitive verb
1. : to become settled into a groove : move in a groove
grooving along in the routine of the job
2. : to become joined or fitted by a groove
elements of this rather intricate artistic pattern seem to groove into each other — Scott Fitzgerald
3. : to form a groove
eyes with faint white wrinkles at the corners that grooved merrily when he smiled — Ernest Hemingway
III. adjective
: produced through a narrow deep opening formed at the free end of the tongue
a groove fricative such as s
— compare slit
IV. verb
Etymology: from the phrase in the groove
transitive verb
1. : to enjoy appreciatively
grooves exciting experiences
2. : to excite pleasurably
grooving their minds with cannabis — Stephen Nemo
intransitive verb
1. : to enjoy oneself intensely : experience keen pleasure
overachievers who groove on competition — Barry McDermott
2. : to interact harmoniously
contemporary minds and rock groove together — Benjamin De Mott
V. noun
1. : an enjoyable, pleasurable, or exciting experience
2. : a pronounced enjoyable rhythm