groove

noun
\ ˈgrüv How to pronounce groove (audio) \

Definition of groove

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a long narrow channel or depression
2a : a fixed routine : rut
b : a situation suited to one's abilities or interests : niche
3 : top form a great talker when he is in the groove
4 : the middle of the strike zone in baseball where a pitch is most easily hit a fastball right in the groove
5 : an enjoyable or exciting experience
6 : a pronounced enjoyable rhythm

groove

verb
grooved; grooving

Definition of groove (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to make a groove in
b : to join by a groove
2 : to perfect by repeated practice grooved her golf swing
3 : to throw (a pitch) in the groove

intransitive verb

1 : to become joined or fitted by a groove
2 : to form a groove
3 : to enjoy oneself intensely
4 : to interact harmoniously contemporary minds and rock groove together— Benjamin DeMott

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Other Words from groove

Verb

groover noun

Synonyms for groove

Synonyms: Noun

drill, grind, lockstep, pattern, rote, routine, rut, treadmill

Synonyms: Verb

score, scribe, seam

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Examples of groove in a Sentence

Noun

the grooves on a vinyl record The door slides along a groove in the doorframe. He's a great pitcher when he's in a groove. She hasn't yet found her groove. They've gotten stuck in a groove in their jobs.

Verb

We grooved to the beat. if you groove that piece of wood, we should be able to fit this smaller board into it
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Paul Goldschmidt Jack Flaherty Beyond Goldschmidt and Flaherty, other players have found their grooves as of late. Matt Martell, SI.com, "Who Has the Edge in the NL Central's Three-Team Race?," 19 Aug. 2019 Rotating through different styles each week, the event includes free instruction at 6 p.m., followed by music and more instruction, plus local food trucks and a beer garden to help fuel your groove. Michelle Pitcher, The Mercury News, "San Jose community briefs for the week of Aug. 23," 18 Aug. 2019 Not surprisingly, Bumgarner quickly regrouped and found his groove. Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "Giants’ Madison Bumgarner sparkles, Donovan Solano gets decisive hit in 16-inning win," 19 July 2019 For Andress, that meant spending years finding her own groove, writing songs that were only hers to sing. Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE.com, "Ingrid Andress on Singing with Idols Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman: 'I Practiced "Not Fangirling" in the Mirror'," 15 July 2019 Scherer settled into a groove on the mound, and after Desmond Sams led off the game with a single, Mandeville would have to wait 21 more at-bats for their next hit, which was a single by Jake Laws in the top of the sixth inning. Pat Mashburn, NOLA.com, "St. Paul's 9, Mandeville 0: Jacob Scherer tosses complete game and offense delivers victory," 13 Apr. 2018 The limestone facade is scored with deep horizontal grooves on the upper floor that contrast with an array of flat, vertical columns and sporty, machine-age metal fins. Inga Saffron, Philly.com, "Discovering an art deco Kresge's behind a Center City storefront," 13 Feb. 2018 As Ciara held her daughter and bopped her hips from side to side, Future Zahir also got his groove on and showed off his talents by doing the infamous floss dance. Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, "Soul and Style! Ciara Shares Video of Son Future Zahir, 5, Dancing After Losing His First Tooth," 15 July 2019 So why can the bird get its groove on while other pets like cats, dogs and hamsters just stare blankly? Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "What This Head-Banging, Body-Rolling Cockatoo Teaches Us About the Evolution of Dance," 11 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Nyong’o even uploaded a video of herself grooving to the song. Paula Rogo, Essence, "Everyone Is Loving Beyoncé's 'Brown Skin Girl' Song — And Blue Ivy's Cameo," 20 July 2019 The trays are also grooved, so juices won’t easily spill over. Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, "These gadgets will keep summer dining safe," 26 June 2019 Iglesias grooved a fastball and Bour hit it way up in the seats in right for his second home run of the night. , Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Raisel Iglesias roughed up in the eighth in 5-1 Cincinnati Reds loss to the Angels," 26 June 2019 That's to say nothing of the entertainment on board, from gambling in the casino to surfing 30,000-gallon simulated waves to grooving out to a Jackson 5 cover band. Laura Mallonee, WIRED, "Forget the Bahamas. China's Cruises Are Where It's At," 10 June 2019 Benji was visibly grooving on the sound of his own voice, on being the focus of an audience. Emma Cline, The New Yorker, "Son of Friedman," 24 June 2019 Outside the reserve: tired wheat fields, cracked earth, and a maze of footpaths grooved by cheap plastic shoes. Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "Millions of indigenous people face eviction from their forest homes," 15 May 2019 The musician is a master at matters of the heart, crooning about the euphoria of new romance backed up with her ethereal melodies and punctuated with beats that will get any listener on their feet grooving. Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, "LÉON's Dreamy Ballads and Bright Bops Will Give You All the Feels," 26 Apr. 2019 Guests in their finest then grooved on the dance floor; the evening was a celebratory occasion that lasted well into the early hours. Vogue, "David Barton and Susanne Bartsch Host a Star-Studded Toy Drive in Time for the Holidays," 17 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'groove.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of groove

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1686, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for groove

Noun

Middle English grove pit, cave, from Middle Dutch groeve; akin to Old High German gruoba pit, cave, Old English grafan to dig — more at grave

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More Definitions for groove

groove

noun

English Language Learners Definition of groove

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a long, narrow cut or low area in a surface
US : a state in which you are able to do something well and easily especially because you are doing it often
chiefly British : a dull routine that does not change

groove