grommet

• grummet, gromet

From obsolete French gromette (“curb chain”) (modern spelling gourmette).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɒm.ɪt/, /ˈɡɹʌm.ɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɑ.mɪt/

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɒmɪt

grommet (plural grommets)

1. A reinforced eyelet, or a small metal or plastic ring used to reinforce an eyelet.
2. (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.
3. (flags) An eyelet at the hoist end of a flag, used to fasten the flag to its halyard.
4. (slang, surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding) A young or inexperienced surfer, skateboarder, or snowboarder.

   Synonyms: grem, gremlin, gremmie, gremmy

5. A boy serving on a ship.

• (eyelet): grunyon
• (nautical): cringle
• (surfer, snowboarder): grom

• drop grommet
• edge grommet, grommet edging
• surgical grommet
• cable grommet
• grommet press, grommet punch

grommet (third-person singular simple present grommets, present participle grommeting, simple past and past participle grommeted)

1. (transitive) To insert a grommet into.
   • 1923, “American Machinist”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎, volume 58, numbers 23-26, page 919:

     The device takes the form of a guard for the punch presses which are used in grommeting mail bags in the process of manufacture.

   • 2007, Wil McCarthy, The Wellstone‎, page 225:

     There was little point in grommeting the hole, since the wrapping was already as rigid and tough as its invisibility permitted.

2. (transitive) To fasten using a grommet.
3. (intransitive) To apply grommets.

• Grommet in the 1905 edition of the New International Encyclopedia.