In the Groove Comes From Gramophone Records
A groove is a long narrow channel. The musical sense comes from the spiral cut into a record.
A groove is a long narrow channel cut into a surface. The musical use is literal in origin: a gramophone record carries a single spiral groove, and a needle riding it smoothly produced the sound. *In the groove* meant playing well, and by the 1940s groove had come to mean the rhythmic feel of a performance.
- A narrow channel. *A groove in the wood.*
- Rhythmic feel in music. *A tight groove.*
- A rut or routine. *Stuck in a groove.*
- Groovy — excellent, dated slang. *That is groovy.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | groove | A deep groove. |
| Plural | grooves | Parallel grooves. |
| Verb | groove | Groove the joint. |
| Adjective | groovy | A groovy tune. |
| Related | grave | To grave a line. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The band found its groove.Rhythmic feel.
- A record has one continuous groove.Not one per track.
- He is stuck in a groove.Repetitive routine.
Record facts
- One groove — a single spiral from edge to centre
- Stereo — each wall of the groove carries one channel
- RPM — 33, 45 and 78 revolutions per minute
- Broken record — the phrase comes from a needle jumping back
- Locked groove — a closed loop at the end that repeats forever
From Dutch *groeve*, a furrow or ditch, related to English *grave* in its old sense of digging.
Does a record have one groove per track?
No. There is a single continuous spiral groove from the outer edge to the centre.
Where does *in the groove* come from?
From a needle running cleanly in a record's groove, meaning everything is working smoothly.