broach
Plural: broaches
Noun
- a decorative pin worn by women
- A series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel. For example, the toothed stone chisel shown here.
- A broad chisel for stone-cutting.
- Alternative spelling of brooch.
- A spit for cooking food.
- An awl; a bodkin; also, a wooden rod or pin, sharpened at each end, used by thatchers.
- A spire rising from a tower.
- A spit-like start on the head of a young stag.
- The stick from which candle wicks are suspended for dipping.
- The pin in a lock which enters the barrel of the key.
Verb
Verb Forms: broached, broaching, broaches
- To raise a sensitive subject for discussion; to pierce a cask.
- bring up a topic for discussion
- To make a hole in, especially a cask of liquor, and put in a tap in order to draw the liquid.
- To open, to make an opening into; to pierce.
- To begin discussion about (something).
- To be turned sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves.
- To cause to turn sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves (usually followed by to; also figurative).
- To break the surface of the water.
Examples
- Each time we came around into the wind, the sea broached our bow.
- French knights at Agincourt were unable to broach the English line.
- He decided to broach the topic of challenging questionable words with his opponent.
- I broached the subject of contraceptives carefully when the teenager mentioned his promiscuity.
- The small boat broached and nearly sank, because of the large waves.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English broche, from Old French broche, from Vulgar Latin *brocca, originally a feminine form of Latin broccus, perhaps ultimately of Gaulish origin (see Scottish Gaelic bròg). Doublet of brochure.
Scrabble Score: 13
broach: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordbroach: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
broach: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 14
broach: valid Words With Friends Word