English Reference
noun · verb

groove

n. · v.
US /ˈɡɹuv/ UK /ɡɹˈuːv/ groove UK spelling grooves

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a long, narrow cut or line in a hard surface like wood or metal.

    n.a long, narrow channel or depression cut into a hard material, often to guide a moving part.

    Simple

    The sliding door moves along a small groove in the floor.

    In context

    The carpenter carefully carved a groove into the side of the cabinet to allow the back panel to slide into place securely.

    channelslotfurrow
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Informal

    n.a habit or a way of doing things that you have become used to.

    n.a settled or fixed routine of life or action.

    Simple

    After a few days back at work, I finally got back into my groove.

    In context

    It took the team several weeks to find their groove, but once they established a workflow, productivity increased significantly.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Music

    n.a strong, enjoyable rhythm in music that makes you want to dance.

    n.a pronounced, infectious rhythm in music, particularly in jazz, funk, or soul.

    Simple

    The drummer started a funky groove that the whole band followed.

    In context

    The bassist and drummer locked into a tight groove, providing a solid foundation for the soloist to explore more complex melodies.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Music

    v.to dance to or enjoy music with a good rhythm.

    v.to dance to or enjoy rhythmic music in a relaxed and focused manner.

    Simple

    Everyone was grooving to the music at the party last night.

    In context

    The audience spent the entire evening grooving to the classic soul records, creating an atmosphere of shared nostalgia and joy.

Eventually it would wear down your extremely hard dental tissue to form these grooves,” he said.

The Guardian· 9 Sept 2026

Their mashup of the Colombian star’s Hips Don’t Lie with the traditional folk song called Moruda has got everyone grooving (42m views and counting).

The Guardian· 8 Sept 2026

From Middle English grov, grove, groof, grofe (“cave; pit; mining shaft”), probably from Old Norse gróf (“pit”) or from Middle Dutch groeve (“furrow, ditch”), both from Proto-West Germanic grōbu, from Proto-Germanic grōbō (“groove, furrow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to dig, scrape, bury”). Cognate with Cimbrian gruuba (“gorge, ravine”), Dutch groef, groeve (“groove; pit, grave”), German Grube (“ditch, pit”), Luxembourgish Grouf (“pit, mine”), Mòcheno gruab (“mine”), Icelandic gróf (“pit, hollow”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰 (grōba, “foxhole”), Serbo-Croatian grèbati (“scratch, dig”). Related to Old English grafan (“to dig”). More at grave.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *gʰrebʰ-
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated