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Broach vs Broad - What's the difference?

broach | broad |

As a verb broach

is to broach.

As an adjective broad is

wide in extent or scope.

As a noun broad is

(dated) a prostitute, a woman of loose morals.

broach

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) broche, from

Noun

(es)
  • A series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel. (rfex)
  • (masonry) A broad chisel for stone-cutting.
  • A spit for cooking food.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • He turned a broach that had worn a crown.
  • An awl; a bodkin; also, a wooden rod or pin, sharpened at each end, used by thatchers.
    • (Forby)
  • (architecture, UK, dialect) 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.
    • (Knight)
  • The pin in a lock which enters the barrel of the key.

    • Verb

    (es)
  • 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.
    • French knights at Agincourt were unable to broach the English line.
  • (senseid) (figuratively) To begin discussion about (something).
    • I broached the subject of contraceptives carefully when the teenager mentioned his promiscuity.
  • * 1913 ,
    • Yet he was much too much scared of broaching any man, let alone one in a peaked cap, to dare to ask.
  • * 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter VI
    • I have tried on several occasions to broach the subject of my love to Lys; but she will not listen.
    Related terms
    *

    Etymology 2

    (en)

    Verb

    (es)
  • To be turned sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves.
    • The small boat broached and nearly sank, because of the large waves.
  • To cause to turn sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves.
  • To be overcome or submerged by a wave or surge of water.
    • Each time we came around into the wind, the sea broached our bow.

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies

    broad

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Wide in extent or scope.
    • three feet broad
    the broad expanse of ocean
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=the Guardian
    • , title= Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised? , passage=Julia Farrington, head of arts at Index on Censorship, argues that extra powers to ban violent videos online will "end up too broad and open to misapplication, which would damage freedom of expression".}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […]  But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapists call "bargaining". A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.}}
  • Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full.
  • * Bishop Porteus
    • broad and open day
  • Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained.
  • * John Locke
    • a broad mixture of falsehood
  • Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged.
  • * D. Daggett
    • The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case.
  • * E. Everett
    • in a broad , statesmanlike, and masterly way
  • Plain; evident.
    • a broad hint
  • Free; unrestrained; unconfined.
  • * Shakespeare
    • as broad and general as the casing air
  • (dated) Gross; coarse; indelicate.
    • a broad''' compliment; a '''broad''' joke; '''broad humour
  • (of an accent) Strongly regional.
  • (Gaelic languages) Velarized, i.e. not palatalized.

    • Antonyms

    * * (Regarding body width) * (Not palatalized)

    Derived terms

    * breadth * broaden * broad across the beam * broad in the beam * broadscale * broad strokes * broadsword * broad church * broadcloth * broad agreement

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dated) A prostitute, a woman of loose morals.
  • (US) A woman or girl.
    • Who was that broad I saw you with?
  • (UK) A shallow lake, one of a number of bodies of water in eastern Norfolk and Suffolk.
  • A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders.
    • (Knight)

    Synonyms

    * See also * See also * See also

    See also

    *

    Anagrams

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