broom

American  

[broom, broom] / brum, brʊm /

noun

1. an implement for sweeping, consisting of a brush of straw or stiff strands of synthetic material bound tightly to the end of a long handle.

2. any shrubby plant belonging to the genus Genista or the genus Cytisus, of the legume family, especially C. scoparius, common in Western Europe on uncultivated ground and having long, slender branches bearing yellow flowers.

3. Building Trades. the crushed and spread part at the head of a wooden pile after driving.

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verb (used with object)

1. to sweep.

   Broom the porch.

2. to splinter or fray mechanically.

3. to crush and spread the top of (a piling, tent peg, etc.) by pounding or driving with a hammer or the like.

4. to brush (freshly poured concrete) with a broom to give a nonskid surface, as to walks or driveways.

verb (used without object)

1. (of a piling, tent peg, etc.) to be crushed and spread at the top from being driven.

broom British  

/ bruːm, brʊm /

noun

1. an implement for sweeping consisting of a long handle to which is attached either a brush of straw, bristles, or twigs, bound together, or a solid head into which are set tufts of bristles or fibres

2. any of various yellow-flowered Eurasian leguminous shrubs of the genera Cytisus , Genista , and Spartium , esp C. scoparius

3. any of various similar Eurasian plants of the related genera Genista and Spartium

4. a newly appointed official, etc, eager to make changes

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verb

1. (tr) to sweep with a broom

broom Idioms  

1. see new broom sweeps clean.

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Pronunciation

Broom and room occur with the vowel of fool or of book. The first is the more common. The pronunciation with the of book is found in New England, eastern Virginia, and South Carolina and Georgia alongside the pronunciation. Farther west the pronunciation is more common, though the pronunciation with the vowel of book occurs everywhere with no marked regional or social pattern. Both pronunciations occur in British standard and folk speech. The pronunciation with predominates in the eastern counties, everywhere else. London lies on the boundary between the two types, and it is thus not surprising that is found in the United States in the coastal areas that had long and close contact with England.

Etymology

Origin of broom

before 1000; Middle English brome, Old English brōm; cognate with Dutch braam bramble, German Bram broom

Example Sentences

Johnson said the puppies "may have started fighting" and jurors had already been told Martin used a broom to try to break them up.

From BBC

At one point it was reported that equipment was so scarce that recruits were training with broom handles instead of rifles.

From BBC

"My grandfather sold brooms out of the back of a van," he says, recalling riding with him as young boy, as they would travel to sell cleaning equipment.

From BBC

A montage shows Harry arriving at the magical school, receiving his wand and Nimbus broom and meeting his new classmates, including Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

From Los Angeles Times

Before picking up a single scrub brush or broom, give yourself a map to your own kitchen by writing out the zones you’ll be tackling.

From Salon

Related Words

• mop