grooming

noun

1. the care of a body and its physical appearance, such as the personal hygiene routine of brushing one’s teeth or combing one’s hair, or the washing, brushing, etc., of a dog or horse:

   Grooming your dogs at home is less expensive than taking them to the groomer, if you can stand the wet dog smell and the hair that ends up everywhere.

2. the act or result of preparing a trail for a specific use, such as skiing, biking, or hiking:

   Donation boxes have been posted at each trail to cover their grooming and other maintenance costs.

3. the act or process of preparing someone to fill a position or role or to undertake an activity:

   The grooming of new personnel to handle additional responsibilities requires team leaders who will act as mentors and share constructive feedback.

4. an act or instance of engaging in behaviors or practices intended to gradually condition or emotionally manipulate a victim over time, as through friendship, gifts, flattery, etc., in order to entrap the person in a sexually abusive or predatory relationship:

   The ongoing targeting and grooming of minors online shows that our safety protocols for children on the internet are insufficient.

Word History and Origins

Origin of grooming¹

First recorded in 1810–20 grooming fordef 1 and in 1985–90 grooming fordef 4; groom ( def ) + -ing ¹( def )

Example Sentences

"I think it’s obvious he was grooming me, trying to pull me in," he said.

From BBC

At the time, Tyson apologised for her "past actions", but said her behaviour never "extended beyond bad edgy jokes" and denied ever grooming anyone.

From BBC

Snapchat made up nearly half of the cases where the platform used for the grooming was recorded by the police.

From BBC

Using a fake persona, McCartney contacted her online, complimented her on her appearance, and began grooming her before she sent him an intimate photo.

From BBC

“Then about a year later, the Me Too thing started happening. I started hearing stories of grooming, and it all started to make sense.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• admonition
• censure
• rebuke