grommet
UK /ˈɡɹɒm.ɪt/ · US /ˈɡɹɑ.mɪt/ noun, verb
Forms grommets grommeting grommeted grummet gromet
- noun A reinforced eyelet, or a small metal or plastic ring used to reinforce an eyelet.
- noun (nautical) A ring formed of a single strand of rope, laid in three times round, fastening the upper edge of a sail to its stay.
- noun (flags) An eyelet at the hoist end of a flag, used to fasten the flag to its halyard.
- noun (slang, surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding) A young or inexperienced surfer, skateboarder, or snowboarder.
- noun A boy serving on a ship.
- verb (transitive) To insert a grommet into.
- verb (transitive) To fasten using a grommet.
- verb (intransitive) To apply grommets.
Synonyms
grem gremlin gremmie gremmy cringle grom eyelet loop grummet
Etymology
From obsolete French gromette (“curb chain”) (modern spelling gourmette).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A ring formed by twisting on itself a single strand of an unlaid rope; also, a metallic eyelet in or for a sail or a mailbag.
- noun A ring of rope used as a wad to hold a cannon ball in place.
Etymology [F. gourmette curb, curb chain, fr. gourmer to curb, thump, beat; cf. Armor. gromm a curb, gromma to curb.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “grommet”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details