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ers of the English royal household, chiefly in the lord chamberlain's department; as, the groom of the chamber; the groom of the stole.

One who, or that which, grooms horses; especially, a brush rotated by a flexible or jointed revolving shaft, for cleaning horses.

A male attendant of a bridegroom at his wedding; -- the correlative of bridesmaid.

A man newly married, or just about to be married.

The house or room in which a merchant, trader, or manufacturer keeps his books and transacts business.

A herdsman. [Obs.]

sen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. "The bridegroom . . . abridged his visit." Smollett. She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity. Fuller.

gle fight. Dryden. The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming. Jer. Taylor.

Most; largest; as, the best part of a week. Best man, the only or principal groomsman at a wedding ceremony.

A male friend who attends upon a bridegroom and bride at their marriage; the "best man." Sir W. Scott.

A mark to be shot at; a target. Sir W. Scott. The groom his fellow groom at butts defies, And bends his bow, and levels with his eyes. Dryden.

An inferior groom or lad employed by an esquire to carry the knight's arms and other necessaries. [Written also coistrel.]

Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. "His craven heart." Shak. The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. Sir. W. Scott. In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. Macualay.

to dangle; to swing, as something suspended loosely; as, to dangle the feet. And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume. Sir W. Scott.

A nuptial song, or poem in honor of the bride and bridegroom. The kind of poem which was called epithalamium . . . sung when the bride was led into her chamber. B. Jonson.

ho has the care of horses at an inn or stable; hence, any one who takes care of horses; a groom; -- so called because the innkeeper formerly attended to this duty in person.

To strike, thrust, or hit violently with the foot; as, a horse kicks a groom; a man kicks a dog. He [Frederick the Great] kicked the shins of his judges. Macaulay. To kick the beam, to fit up and strike the beam; -- said of the lighter arm of a loaded balance; hence, to be found wanting in weight. Milton. -- To kick t…

Originally, an officer who had the care of horses; a groom. [Obs.]

That branch of botanical science which relates to the musgrooms and other fungi.

A friend of the bridegroom who went with him in his chariot to fetch home the bride. Milton.