brooch
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- unbrooch verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of brooch
1175–1225; Middle English broche broach, differentiated in spelling since circa 1600
Explanation
That fancy pin your Grandma used to wear on her blouse or lapel? It's a brooch, held in place by a sharp needle clasp. Okay, it's a bit unfair to say Grandmothers alone wear brooches, but they do tend to be worn more by powerful older women — witness Margaret Thatcher and Madeleine Albright (both noted brooch wearers). Not surprisingly, brooch is derived from the old French word brooch, meaning "a long needle."
Vocabulary lists containing brooch
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Tuck Everlasting
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Williams rocked an all-black Balenciaga ensemble -- double-breasted suit, shirt and tie -- with a glittering brooch to finish the look.
From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026
She had her own nod to the island with a brooch of a Flor de Maga, Puerto Rico’s national flower.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
This week, Rausch’s fellow Traitors, Housewives Candiace Dillard Bassett and Lisa Rinna, get to peacock in a massive crown and, for Rinna, a brooch as bewitching as it is deadly.
From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026
Mason said Price had "knowingly" deceived the specialists who initially authenticated the brooch.
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
Rising, she pinned a cairngorm brooch at her neck, and went down to dinner.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
