Groom
/ɡruːm/noun
A man preparing for marriage, or a person who takes care of horses or other animals.
Did you know?In English history, a groom was originally just a servant or attendant, and the wedding sense developed later from the idea of a man formally preparing for marriage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰm̥mō
“man, earthling”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*guman-
“man”
Old English
OE
guma
“man, person”
Middle English
ME
grom(e)
“boy, servant, attendant”
Early Modern English
English
groom
“servant in charge of horses; attendant”
Modern English
English
groom
“a man preparing for marriage; also, to care for an animal”