BROOM DEFINITIONS - 12 definitions found
broom n 1: a cleaning implement for sweeping; bundle of straws or twigs attached to a long handle 2: any of various shrubs of the genera Cytisus or Genista or Spartium having long slender branches and racemes of yellow flowers 3: common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere [syn: heather, ling, Scots heather, broom, Calluna vulgaris}] v 1: sweep with a broom or as if with a broom; "Sweep the crumbs off the table"; "Sweep under the bed" [syn: sweep, broom] 2: finish with a broom broom bromo broom ̘. ̈n. ̘ˑbrum See: NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) broom I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English brōm; akin to Old High German brāmo bramble Date: before 12th century 1. any of various leguminous shrubs (especially genera Cytisus and Genista) with long slender branches, small leaves, and usually showy yellow flowers; especially Scotch broom 2. a bundle of firm stiff twigs or fibers bound together on a long handle especially for sweeping II. transitive verb Date: 1838 1. to sweep with or as if with a broom 2. to finish (as a concrete surface) by means of a broom Oxford English Reference Dictionary
English Explanatory Dictionary broom ̘. ̈n. ̘ˑbrum n. 1 a long-handled brush of bristles, twigs, etc. for sweeping (orig. one made of twigs of broom). 2 any of various shrubs, esp. Cytisus scoparius bearing bright yellow flowers. ønew broom a newly appointed person eager to make changes. [OE brom] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Broom \Broom\, v. t. (Naut.) See Bream. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Broom \Broom\, n. [OE. brom, brome, AS. br[=o]m; akin to LG. bram, D. brem, OHG. br[=a]mo broom, thorn?bush, G. brombeere blackberry. Cf. Bramble, n.] 1. (Bot.) A plant having twigs suitable for making brooms to sweep with when bound together; esp., the Cytisus scoparius} of Western Europe, which is a low shrub with long, straight, green, angular branches, minute leaves, and large yellow flowers. No gypsy cowered o'er fires of furze and broom. --Wordsworth. 2. An implement for sweeping floors, etc., commonly made of the panicles or tops of broom corn, bound together or attached to a long wooden handle; -- so called because originally made of the twigs of the broom. Butcher's broom, a plant ({Ruscus aculeatus}) of the Smilax family, used by butchers for brooms to sweep their blocks; -- called also knee holly. See Cladophyll. Dyer's broom, a species of mignonette ({Reseda luteola}), used for dyeing yellow; dyer's weed; dyer's rocket. Spanish broom. See under Spanish. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia BROOM broom: Occurs in 1Ki 19:4 m ("broomtree"); Job 30:4, and Ps 120:4 m as the translation of the Hebrew rothem, where the King James Version employed "juniper" which is retained in the Revised Version (British and American) text in 1Ki 19:4 and Job 30:4. Juniper is certainly incorrect and broom is not a particularly happy rendering. The rothem was doubtless the shrub called by the Arabs ratam, a shrub which casts so little shadow that it would be used for shade only when there was no other refuge from the desert sun, and would be eaten only in case of the direst necessity, but which could be burned and used for the making of charcoal. See JUNIPER. David Foster Estes Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms broom n. Besom. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 37 Moby Thesaurus words for "broom": autoclave, brush, carpet sweeper, comb, currycomb, dishcloth, dishwasher, doormat, duster, dustpan, facecloth, hackle, hairbrush, handkerchief, holystone, hose, mop, napkin, pumice stone, rake, scraper, scrub brush, scrubber, serviette, sponge, sudarium, swab, toothbrush, toothpick, towel, vacuum cleaner, washboard, washer, washing machine, whisk, wisp, wringer |
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