Grove

Religious sodomy was practised by male prostitutes in the Hebrew temple groves, which was one of the abominations of Israel that Josiah cleared away.

Near-synonym: woodland

1984, Queensland Botany Bulletin, Issue 3, Department of Primary Industries, page 82, Virtually recognizable groving occurs in some A. aneura associations in the west. Further east some diffuse groving may occur, but is difficult to recognize without the benefit of aerial photographs.

It is called "Orchard Lake," from the fact, that near the centre is an island embracing an area of about fifty acres of land, well groved with different kinds of shrubbery; and near the centre of this island stand a number of aged apple-trees, planted, perhaps, a century since by the hand of some Indian.

The trees and shrubs are not arranged after any particular system, but are scattered or groved together in various parts of the garden.

In Herefordshire, especially on the northern and eastern sides, Oak timber abounds; and in many of the woods it is usual to have felling at periods varying from sixteen to twenty years; the straightest and handsomest are left for timber, or, as it is called, groved; and they are from time to time thinned, and a regular distance kept between them. The effect produced on these groved trees is, that from being exposed to air and sun, the rapidity of their growth is increased in bulk, height, and quality; and in sixty or eighty years they become valuable timber.

1823, Instinct, in "Sholto and Reuben Percy" (Thomas Byerley), The Percy Anecdotes: Original and Select, Volume 9: Instinct—Ingenuity, page 138, Very frequently, however, to shorten the distance to the upper nurseries, where they have to take the eggs, they project an arch of about ten inches in length, and half an inch in breadth, groved or worked into steps, on its upper surface, to allow of a more easy passage.

The floor of first story and piazza to be laid with Georgia pine, in narrow courses planed, groved and tongued, and laid in the best manner.