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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Anatomy The crease or hollow at the junction of the inner part of each thigh with the trunk, together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals.
  2. n. Architecture The curved edge at the junction of two intersecting vaults.
  3. n. A small jetty extending from a shore to protect a beach against erosion or to trap shifting sands.
  4. v. To provide or build with groins.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. In anatomy, the fold or hollow of the body on either side of the belly where the thigh joins the trunk; the oblique depression between the abdominal and the femoral region; the inguinal region or inguen, corresponding to the axilla or armpit.
  2. n. In architecture, the curved intersection or arris of simple vaults crossing each other at any angle.
  3. n. A wooden breakwater or frame of woodwork constructed across a beach between low and high water to retain sand or mud thrown up by the tide, and to form a protection from the force of the waves to the land lying behind it. Also spelled, archaically, groyne.
  4. In architecture, to form into groins; construct in a system of groins.
  5. To grunt, as a pig; growl.
  6. To murmur; grumble; sound rumblingly.
  7. n. Grumbling; pouting; discontent.
  8. n. The snout of a swine; a snout; nose.

Wiktionary

  1. n. The long narrow depression of the human body that separates the trunk from the legs.
  2. n. The projecting solid angle formed by the meeting of two vaults
  3. n. The surface formed by two such vaults.
  4. n. A structure projecting from a beach to change the pattern of erosion.
  5. v. To build with groins.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. The snout of a swine.
  2. v. To grunt to growl; to snarl; to murmur.
  3. n. The line between the lower part of the abdomen and the thigh, or the region of this line; the inguen.
  4. n. The projecting solid angle formed by the meeting of two vaults, growing more obtuse as it approaches the summit.
  5. n. The surface formed by two such vaults.
  6. n. A frame of woodwork across a beach to accumulate and retain shingle.
  7. v. To fashion into groins; to build with groins.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. build with groins
  2. n. a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away
  3. n. a curved edge formed by two intersecting vaults
  4. n. the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals

Etymologies

  1. Alteration (influenced by loin) of Middle English grinde, perhaps from Old English grynde, abyss, hollow.

Examples

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  • tbtabby Means "snout" in French. Jul 13, 2009

‘groin’ has been looked up 1568 times, loved by 2 people, added to 6 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 6.