brooch

American  

[brohch, brooch] / broʊtʃ, brutʃ /

noun

1. a clasp or ornament having a pin at the back for passing through the clothing and a catch for securing the point of the pin.

---

brooch British  

/ brəʊtʃ /

noun

1. an ornament with a hinged pin and catch, worn fastened to clothing

---

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."

Example Sentences

Glinting under the exhibition centre lights, the gold brooch studded with gemstones on the startup founder's lapel was handmade by Indian artisans -- but artificial intelligence dreamt up its elaborate design.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 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

A funeral director "deceived thousands" of people when he lied about digging up an 1,800-year-old Roman brooch.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

Though of noble bearing, he wore the garb of an ordinary warrior, with no ornament save a curiously shaped iron brooch at his collar.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

Related Words

• jewelry