grommet

Everyday

1. A grommet is a metal or plastic ring put in a hole in cloth, leather or paper to make the hole strong, like the holes for laces or for a tent rope. tree →
2. (medicine, UK, Australia) A grommet is a tiny tube a doctor puts in a child's eardrum to let fluid drain out and help hearing. tree →
3. (Australia, NZ, slang) A grommet (or grom) is a young surfer or skateboarder. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life you see grommets on shoes, curtains, banners and tents. Many children have grommets in their ears for «glue ear»; it is a small, common operation. In Australian and New Zealand beach life, groms are kids learning to surf. In design and technology lessons, grommets protect cables going through holes.

Examples

• The tent rope goes through the metal grommet. tree →
• The banner has a grommet in each corner. tree →
• I had grommets put in my ears when I was five. tree →
• After the grommets, Lily could hear much better. tree →
• (Australia) The grommets were out surfing at dawn. tree →
• (Australia) That little grom can already ride big waves. tree →
• Put a rubber grommet where the wire passes through the box. tree →

Note

Countable. The surfing sense is slang from Australia and New Zealand; «grom» is the short form. The ear tube is also called a «tympanostomy tube» by doctors (US: «ear tubes»).