grooming

CIDE DICTIONARY

grooming, n. 

•  Preparing a person for a position requiring skilled behavior, especially by providing opposrtunity for practise and guidance in making the right decisions; as, to provide grooming for one's successor as president.  [WordNet 1.5]
•  The activity of getting dressed, washed and generally of neat appearance.  [WordNet 1.5]
•  The activity of cleaning oneself or others by removing lice, ticks, dirt, etc. from the fur; -- of animals.  [PJC]

THESAURUS

grooming

apprenticeship, basic training, breaking, breeding, conditioning, cultivation, development, discipline, drill, drilling, exercise, fetching-up, fostering, housebreaking, improvement, in-service training, manual training, military training, nurture, nurturing, on-the-job training, practice, preparation, raising, readying, rearing, rehearsal, sloyd, training, upbringing, vocational education, vocational training