Grooming

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɹuːmɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of cleaning or tidying oneself or another, especially related to hair or fur ; the process of preparing or training a person for a particular role or purpose
2. Taking care of appearance and hygiene by washing or brushing ; developing skills or qualities in someone to fit a specific task or position
3. Maintaining neatness and cleanliness of body or animal fur ; guiding or educating someone to become suitable for a certain function or status

Etymology: The modern sense of "grooming" as tidying oneself or an animal, or readying someone for a role, grows out of a word that first meant a young male attendant. In Middle English, "grom" or "grome" meant "man-child, boy, youth," and it may trace back to a Proto-Germanic root that also gave Old Norse "gromr," meaning "manservant" or "boy." Its exact origin remains uncertain, with a possible link to the idea of swelling or growth, from a root meaning "to grow." The verb developed from the noun "groom," which in its earliest English uses referred to a servant who looked after horses or attended a noble. Caring for a horse meant brushing, feeding and cleaning it, and that practical duty gave the verb its association with tidying and tending. Over time the sense widened from animals to people, so that "grooming" came to mean attending to one's own appearance as well. The word "groom" also appears in "bridegroom," which entered English in the 1600s as a shortened form. That word combines "bride" with an Old English word "guma," meaning "man," and it was reshaped in Middle English by association with "grom." This is why "groom" came to mean a man about to marry, and the alternative spelling "bridegroom" keeps the older element visible.

Synonyms: cleaning, tidying, preening