groom

Meanings

Noun

• A man who is about to marry.
• A person who looks after horses.
• One of several officers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department.
• A brushing or cleaning, as of a dog or horse.

Verb

• To attend to one's appearance and clothing.
• To care for (horses or other animals) by brushing and cleaning them.
• To prepare (someone) for election or appointment.
• To prepare (a ski slope) for skiers by packing down the snow.
• To attempt to gain the trust of (somebody, especially a minor) with the intention of subjecting them to abusive or exploitative behaviour such as sexual abuse or human trafficking.
• In agile software development, to review and prioritize the items in the development backlog.

Origin

• 1604, short for bridegroom, from Middle English brydgrome, alteration (with intrusive r) of earlier bridegome, from Old English brȳdguma ("bridegroom"), from brȳd + guma. In Middle English, the second element was re-analyzed as or influenced by grom, grome. guma derives from Proto-Germanic *gumô ("man, person"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰǵʰm̥mō; it is cognate to Icelandic gumi and Norwegian gume and, ultimately, human.
• From Middle English grom, grome, of uncertain origin. Apparently related to Middle Dutch grom ("boy"), Old Icelandic grómr, gromr, Old French gromme ("manservant"), from the same Proto-Germanic root. Possibly from Old English grōma, from Proto-Germanic *grōmô, related to *grōaną, though uncertain as *grōaną was used typically of plants; its secondary meaning being "to turn green".
• Alternative etymology describes Middle English grom, grome as an alteration of gome 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.