broch

[ Scots brokh, bruhkh ]

noun

1. a circular stone tower built around the beginning of the Christian era, having an inner and an outer wall, found on the Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, the Hebrides, and the mainland of Scotland.

broch

/ brɒk; brɒx /

noun

1. (in Scotland) a circular dry-stone tower large enough to serve as a fortified home; they date from the Iron Age and are found esp in the north and the islands

Word History and Origins

Origin of broch¹

First recorded in 1645–55; Scots, metathetic variant of burgh

Word History and Origins

Origin of broch¹

C17: from Old Norse borg ; related to Old English burh settlement, burgh

Example Sentences

When officials sought funding help from state and federal partners, they were rebuffed, said Broch Bender, spokesperson for the King County road services division.

From Seattle Times

As his friend and fellow exile Hermann Broch observed, Mann had a “stupendous capacity for work,” which allowed him to put his exile to good use.

From Washington Post

Mainland’s archaeological gems include Jarlshof, which includes ruins from the Bronze, Iron, Pictish and Viking eras, and, just offshore, the some 2,000-year-old Broch of Mousa.

From Washington Post

Amy Broch's husband Sean died last year with motor neurone disease.

From BBC

Mr. Broch may be a scholar-dealer, but like any self-respecting influencer he also knows that your best ad campaign is your own life; behold his 18th-century canal house in Gouda, the Netherlands, stuffed to bursting with antique portraits and porcelain, and start scouring the auction houses.

From New York Times