different between groom vs currycomb

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??u?m/
• Rhymes: -u?m

Etymology 1

1604, short for bridegroom (“husband-to-be”), from Middle English brydgrome, alteration (with intrusive r) of earlier bridegome (“bridegroom”), from Old English br?dguma (“bridegroom”), from br?d (“bride”) + guma (“man, hero”). In Middle English, the second element was re-analyzed as or influenced by grom, grome (“attendant”). Guma derives from Proto-Germanic *gumô (“man, person”), from Proto-Indo-European *d???m?m?; it is cognate to Icelandic gumi and Norwegian gume and, ultimately, human.

Noun

groom (plural grooms)

1. A man who is about to marry.

   Synonym: bridegroom

Coordinate terms

• bride
• bride-to-be

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English grom, grome (“man-child, boy, youth”), of uncertain origin. Apparently related to Middle Dutch grom (“boy”), Old Icelandic grómr, gromr (“man, manservant, boy”), Old French gromme (“manservant”), from the same Proto-Germanic root. Possibly from Old English gr?ma, from Proto-Germanic *gr?mô, related to *gr?an? (“to grow”), though uncertain as *gr?an? was used typically of plants; its secondary meaning being "to turn green".

Alternative etymology describes Middle English grom, grome as an alteration of gome (“man”) 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.

Noun

groom (plural grooms)

1. A person who cares for horses.
2. One of several officers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department.

   the groom of the chamber; the groom of the stole

3. A brushing or cleaning, as of a dog or horse.

   Give the mare a quick groom before you take her out.

Synonyms

• ostler

Translations

Verb

groom (third-person singular simple present grooms, present participle grooming, simple past and past participle groomed)

1. To attend to one's appearance and clothing.
2. (transitive) To care for (horses or other animals) by brushing and cleaning them.
3. (transitive) To prepare (someone) for election or appointment.
4. (transitive) To prepare (a ski slope) for skiers by packing down the snow.
5. (transitive) 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.
6. (transitive, software engineering) In agile software development, to review and prioritize the items in the development backlog.

Related terms

• groomed
• grooming
• bridegroom

Translations

Further reading

• Groom in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• Mogor

English

Alternative forms

• curry-comb
• curry comb

Etymology

curry +? comb

Noun

currycomb (plural currycombs)

1. A comb or brush, having rubber or plastic teeth, used to groom horses.
   • 1889, Annual Report of the Military Department, State of Oregon (page 99)

     One hundred currycombs […] One hundred corn horsebrushes […]

Translations

Verb

currycomb (third-person singular simple present currycombs, present participle currycombing, simple past and past participle currycombed)

1. (transitive) To groom using such a comb.

Translations