groom

12 definitions • 14 examples

to clean an animal, often by brushing its fur:

Polly spends hours in the stables grooming her pony.

(of an animal) to use its tongue or paws (= feet) to clean itself or another animal:

The cat still sat on its wall, grooming itself.

Two male lions groom each other to rid themselves of burrs.

to make the surface of snow smoother, flatter, or harder so it is easier to ski on:

Popular ski trails are groomed as often as once a day.

You just get your skis and gloves on and head off down freshly groomed slopes.

to prepare someone for a special job or activity:

be groomed for She was being groomed for leadership.

[ + to infinitive ] My boss is grooming me to take over his job next year.

to become friends with a child with the intention of trying to persuade the child to have a sexual relationship

bride and groom The bride and groom walked down the aisle together.

a person whose job is to take care of and clean horses

to make yourself ready to be seen; put in order:

[ T ] The girls groomed their hair.

[ I ] He’s gone upstairs to finish grooming.

[ T ] They’re grooming the ski runs at Snow Basin (= preparing them for use).

to prepare someone for a special job or activity:

The record company groomed performers to fit the music’s image.

to clean an animal, often by brushing its fur:

I’ve groomed horses for years.

a man who is about to get married or just got married:

The bride and groom were posing for pictures.

a person whose job is to take care of and clean horses