Groin
/ɡrɔɪn/noun
The area where the abdomen meets the thigh.
Did you know?Groin comes from Old French groin, meaning “snout” or “muzzle,” from a Latin root tied to the nose and face, which is why the word once lived in animal anatomy before it moved to the body’s crease.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰreh₂-
“to rub, scratch, or graze”
Latin
Latin
grunnire
“to grunt, snort”
Old French
Old French
groin
“snout, muzzle”
Middle English
English
groin
“snout; later, the crease where the thigh meets the body”
Modern English
English
groin
“the area where the abdomen meets the thigh”