Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Broom |
BroomNoun1. 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. Verb1. Sweep with a broom or as if with a broom; "Sweep the crumbs off the table"; "Sweep under the bed". 2. Finish with a broom. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "broom" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1379. (references) |
Etymology: Broom \Broom\, noun. [Old English brom, brome, Anglo-Saxon br[=o]m; akin to Low German bram, Dutch brem, Old High German br[=a]mo broom, German brombeere blackberry. Compare to Bramble, noun]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Industry | Fibre from the bast of the spanish broom (spartium junceum) or common broom (cytisus scoparius). Source: European Union. (references) |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of brooms, denotes thrift and rapid improvement in your fortune, if the brooms are new. If they are seen in use, you will lose in speculation. For a woman to lose a broom, foretells that she will prove a disagreeable and slovenly wife and housekeeper. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Literature | Broom A broom is hung at the mast-head of ships about to be sold, to indicate that they are to be swept away. The idea is popularly taken from Admiral Tromp; but probably this allusion is more witty than true. The custom of hanging up something to attract notice seems very common. Thus an old piece of carpet from a window indicates household furniture for sale; a wisp of straw indicates oysters for sale; a bush means wine for sale; an old broom, ships to sell, etc. etc. (See Pennant. ) A new broom. One fresh in office. New brooms sweep clean. Those newly appointed to an office find fault and want to sweep away old customs. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Broom is a family of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and deciduous shrubs mainly of the genus Cytisus.Broom has been used as an ornamental landscape plant, but has become more familiar as a noxious weed due to its aggressive nature. The most recognized is the Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius). Once established, the Scotch Broom is very difficult to eradicate. In late summer, its pea-pod like seed capsules burst open, often with an audible pop, spreading seed far from the parent plant.
This "bad boy" of the brooms has apparently leafless stems that in spring and summer are covered in profuse golden-yellow flowers.
Some of the less aggressive types of broom are the Atlas Broom, Kew Broom, Warminster Broom, and Provence Broom.
Brooms tolerate and often thrive in poor growing areas and conditions and need little care.
Scotch Broom in bloom
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Broom (shrub)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A broom is a cleaning tool with a stick, the broomstick.Brooms have a long history of connection with witchcraft, almost universally regarding female witches.
Some people speculate that in the Middle Ages, women publicly accused of being witches (or at least women with knowledge of herbology), did "ride" brooms. They applied a layer of paste made out of trance inducing plants (such as belladonna) to the broomstick and "rode" it, as a way of applying the hallucinogenic herb to the thin skin of the labia where it might be quickly absorbed into the blood stream. However, due to the witchhunts and the general beliefs of the time, little to no reliable information exists to corroborate this belief. Records concerning witches of that time and their behavior are extremely unreliable, often having been extracted under torture.
Anecdotally, the broom served another purpose during periods of persecution. Witches and other magic practitioners would disguise their wands as broom sticks to avoid suspicion. It is also a tradition that brooms have been used by some as receptacles to harbor a particular spirit temporarily.
Today, the broom is included in lists of ritual tools in many pagan guide books, where it is often referred to as a besom. A broom is sometimes laid at the opening of some coven's circles. Representing the element air, brooms are utilized in the purification of areas. They are used to symbolically sweep ritual circles clean. The highpriestess or highpriest walks clockwise, traces the cast circle and sweeps with the broom a few inches off the ground. This practice can be used in place of incense to purify a ritual space. It is often employed by those allergic to incense, and during rituals practiced in smoke free areas. It is also a technique associated with "kitchen witches" who use what's on hand to work spells.
See also: Wicca
In many works of fiction, broomsticks are pictured as a means of air transport for witches.
In the Harry Potter book series, magical flying brooms are used by Quidditch players as a kind of substitute for polo ponies. The brooms can also used for personal transportation, although the rider must take care not to be seen by Muggles.
In some countries, a vibrating Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 Broom (tm) toy for 8-12 year-olds was marketed. It became controversial, and was taken off the market.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Broomstick."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
| Br | Dutch | Broom | Chemistry |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: BroomSynonyms: heather (n), ling (n), sweep (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Cleanness | Brush; broom, besom, mop, rake, shovel, sieve, riddle, screen, filter; blotter. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | I'd like seventeen dollars for a push broom rebristling (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) Sorry, had to grab my broom. (Charmed; writing credit: Colman deKay) And then one day, my wife turned into this remarkable creature that could sit on the end of a broom stick and take off. She could actually achieve flight (See No Evil, Hear No Evil; writing credit: Earl Barret; Arne Sultan) Woman you oughta get yourself a broom and ride over the housetops (The Dark at the Top of the Stairs; writing credit: Harriet Frank Jr.; William Inge) She'll be on the first broom back to Philly (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; writing credit: Hisao Ohkawa; Kaoru Umeno) | |
Lyrics | Ah but, two hours of pushin' broom buys a (KING OF THE ROAD; performing artist: Roger Miller) two hours of pushin' broom ("King of the Road"; performing artist: Roger Miller) Let's see that dust fly with that broom ("Yakety Yak"; performing artist: The Coasters) Give me a broom and I'll sweep my way to heaven (Mr. Sellack; performing artist: The Roches) | |
Tongue Twisters | Bright blows the broom on the brook's bare brown banks. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Wilson and the Broom (1913) This Unnameable Little Broom (1985) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References | |||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Fig. 1 - Halibut cutting knife; Fig. 2 - Scraping knife to remove muscle and flesh from backbone after cutting Fig. 3 - Squillgee for pushing ice in pen Fig. 4 - Oak mallet for breaking ice. Fig. 5 - Oak broom for scrubbing halibut Drawings by Capt. J. W. Collins. Credit: National Marine Fisheries Historical Image Collection. |  | "An effective technique to pulling scotch broom roots". Credit: Saundra Miles. |
 | Scotch (Scot's) Broom, a noxious weed, (Cytisus scoparius) along the Rogue River Drive at Shady Cove. Credit: Terry Tuttle. |  | Ship's racing boat crew celebrates with cigars after a victory, circa 1913. Note the coiled line and decorated broom and mop handles. Seaman Hubert C. Rickert is seated in center holding the mop, just to the right of the cigar box. Credit: NAVY. |
 | At Pearl Harbor, soon after the end of her third war patrol, circa 7 February 1943. Her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Dudley W. Morton, is on the open bridge, in right center. Officer standing at left appears to be the Executive Officer, Lieutenant Richard H. O'Kane. Note: broom lashed to the periscope head, indicating a "clean sweep" of enemy targets encountered; pennant bearing the slogan "Shoot the sunza bitches" and eight small flags, representing claimed sinkings of two Japanese warships and six merchant vessels. Note that the forward radar mast, mounted in front of the periscope shears, has been censored out of this photograph. Credit: NAVY. |  | Broom sweeping out diploma, books and inkwell, and letter N. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Poor white hallway, Georgetown, D.C. Seldom do these people have even the desire to clear up rubbish, and the broom shown here seems to be out of place. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Negro cabin, showing grass and mud chimney and broom made of corn husks for sweeping yard. Taylorsville, Mississippi. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | House of Wares, business at 884 Madison Ave., New York City. View towards broom rack. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Hypnotist directing group of people to do unusual things: woman riding man, man playing broom like a guitar, two men embracing. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |
| "Broom & leaves" by Ariel C. Commentary: "Broom & leaves." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| Play | Caption | Play | Caption |
 | Sweeping glass across the floor with a broom. | | Sweeping the floor with a broom. |
| One sweep with a broom. | ||
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Sylvie and Bruno | Carroll, Lewis | But he was back in a few moments, having discarded his broom and provided himself, from some mysterious source, with an exquisite bouquet of flowers |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | He apostrophised, as he leaped across a brook, a portress with a beard fit to meet Faust upon the Brocken, who had her broom in her hand |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | Noah picked his teeth thoroughly with a broom straw |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | To improve the adequacy of the cervical smear specimen, a variety of sampling devices is available (e.g., spatula, endocervical brush, broom, and cotton swab). (references) | |
Because you find mouse droppings and some of the furniture stuffing the mice have used as nesting material, you get a broom and sweep up the mess. As you move around and sweep, tiny particles of fresh urine, droppings and saliva, with the virus in them, get kicked up into the air. This is the aerosolization. (references) | ||
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | DEPUTY, n. A male relative of an office-holder, or of his bondsman. The deputy is commonly a beautiful young man, with a red necktie and an intricate system of cobwebs extending from his nose to his desk. When accidentally struck by the janitor's broom, he gives off a cloud of dust. "Chief Deputy," the Master cried, "To-day the books are to be tried By experts and accountants who Have been commissioned to go through Our office here, to see if we Have stolen injudiciously. Please have the proper entries made, The proper balances displayed, Conforming to the whole amount Of cash on hand -- which they will count. I've long admired your punctual way -- Here at the break and close of day, Confronting in your chair the crowd Of business men, whose voices loud And gestures violent you quell By some mysterious, calm spell -- Some magic lurking in your look That brings the noisiest to book And spreads a holy and profound Tranquillity o'er all around. So orderly all's done that they Who came to draw remain to pay. But now the time demands, at last, That you employ your genius vast In energies more active. Rise And shake the lightnings from your eyes; Inspire your underlings, and fling Your spirit into everything!" The Master's hand here dealt a whack Upon the Deputy's bent back, When straightway to the floor there fell A shrunken globe, a rattling shell A blackened, withered, eyeless head! The man had been a twelvemonth dead. Jamrach Holobom |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Broom" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 88.29% of the time. "Broom" is used about 316 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 88.29% | 279 | 17,495 |
| Noun (proper) | 11.71% | 37 | 56,631 |
| Total | 100.00% | 316 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "broom" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Broom | Last name | 2,000 | 6,559 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "broom": a new broom sweeps clean ♦ blow with a broom ♦ broom beard grass ♦ broom capboard ♦ broom closet ♦ broom corn ♦ broom grass ♦ broom handle ♦ broom made from heath ♦ broom palm ♦ Broom rape ♦ broom sedge ♦ broom snakeroot ♦ broom snakeweed ♦ broom tree ♦ butcher's broom ♦ chaparral broom ♦ common broom ♦ Dyer's broom ♦ fire broom ♦ Flag broom ♦ green broom ♦ indigo broom ♦ push broom ♦ rush broom ♦ Scotch broom ♦ scrubbing broom ♦ small broom ♦ spanish broom ♦ Thorn broom ♦ weaver's broom ♦ weeping tree broom ♦ whisk broom ♦ white broom ♦ white Spanish broom ♦ witch broom ♦ witches' broom. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "broom": broom-covered, broom-cupboards, broom-handle, broom-like, broom-making, Broom-parker, broom-wielding. | |
Ending with "broom": birch-broom, dyer's-broom, Green-broom, hand-broom, Hardb-b-broom, Hardb-broom. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
broom | 690 | power broom | 14 |
jumping the broom | 106 | 2000 broom harry nimbus potter | 14 |
wedding broom | 69 | jump the broom | 14 |
scotch broom | 62 | broce broom | 13 |
electric broom | 62 | spanish broom | 13 |
harry potter broom | 57 | handmade broom | 11 |
man with broom | 48 | broom scottish | 10 |
witch broom | 37 | broom plant | 10 |
butcher broom | 37 | street broom | 10 |
water broom | 31 | broom stick | 9 |
broom and mop | 26 | broom tree | 9 |
broom picture | 22 | broom harry potter vibrating | 9 |
rubber broom | 21 | nimbus 2000 broom | 9 |
broom hilda | 18 | straw broom | 9 |
sweeper broom | 18 | road broom | 9 |
broom corn | 17 | broom clip | 9 |
broom closet | 16 | dust my broom | 9 |
broom art | 16 | broom mechanical | 8 |
push broom | 16 | broom sweet | 8 |
broom handle | 15 | broom holder | 8 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "broom"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | besem. (various references) | |
Albanian | gjineshtër (gorse), fshij me fshesë, fshesë. (various references) | |
Arabic | كنس (besom, rake, scavenge, sweep, sweeping, whisk), مكنسة (besom, mop, sweeper), مقشة (whisk), قش (chaff, haulm, hay, straw, stubble, thatch, whisk), وزال نبات, رتم. (various references) | |
Asturian | bascayu. (various references) | |
Aymara | pichaña (to sweep). (various references) | |
Bemba | iceswa. (various references) | |
Blackfoot | namááhkimaa'tsis. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | мета (sweep, sweep up), метла (besom), помитам (sweep, sweep away, sweep up, wipe out). (various references) | |
Cebuano | silhig. (various references) | |
Chamorro | eskoba. (various references) | |
Chinese | 笤帚, 笤 , 篲 , 埽 (dike), 掃帚 , 掃 (to sweep), 帚 . (various references) | |
Cornish | scübel. (various references) | |
Czech | koštì (besom, whisk), janovec. (various references) | |
Danish | kost (dietary, dietetic, food ( adj. )), fegekost. (various references) | |
Dutch | veger, bezem. (various references) | |
Ecuadorian Quechua | p'ichana (to clean). (various references) | |
Esperanto | balailo, genisto. (various references) | |
Faeroese | kustur. (various references) | |
Farsi | جاروب کردن (Scavenger, Sweep, Whisk, Wisp), جاروب . (various references) | |
Finnish | luuta. (various references) | |
French | balai (brush), genêt. (various references) | |
Frisian | biezem. (various references) | |
German | besen (besom, besoms, brooms, brush, whisk), ginster, Auskehrer. (various references) | |
Greek | σκούπα (besom, brush). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מכבד (cladium, common sedge, panicle), מטאטא (brush, sweeper), רותם (juniper brush). (various references) | |
Hungarian | seprû (sweeper), seprű, rekettye (furze, Genista), partvis (brush). (various references) | |
Indonesian | sapu. (various references) | |
Inuktitut | saniut. (various references) | |
Italian | scopa (besom, mop), granata (grenade, shell), ginestra (Genista, gorse). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 草箒 , 箒 , ブリッジ回路 (bloomers, blue, blue backs, Blue Bird, blue book, blue boy, blue chip, blue day, blue film, Blue Impulse, blue Monday, Blue Ribbon, blue sex, blue train, blueberry, blue-black, blue-collar worker, blueglass, blues, bourgeois, bourgeoisie, bridge circuit, brilliant, brilliant cut, British Airways, British Columbia, Brussels, Bulgaria, bull, Burkina Faso, childpornography), homosexual, shops where girls' uniforms and underwear are resold to dirty old men, sleeping train), 帚 . (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ブルーム , くさぼうき, ほうき (abandonment, abdication, age, fragrant scent, outstanding individual, renunciation, resignation, revolt, sweet seventeen, the law, treasured article or vessel, uprising). (various references) | |
Kongo | sesa. (various references) | |
Korean | 비 (Invoking, Rain). (various references) | |
Macedonian | chetka za pod. (various references) | |
Manx | skeab (besom), jucklagh, giucklagh. (various references) | |
Maori | puruuma. (various references) | |
Maya | miis (cat, janitor). (various references) | |
Norwegian | kost. (various references) | |
Occitan | balaja, escoba, engranièra. (various references) | |
Papago | wosunakud. (various references) | |
Papiamen | basora. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | oombray.(various references) | |
Portuguese | vassoura (besom). (various references) | |
Provencal | escoba. (various references) | |
Romanian | mãturã, mãtura (brush away, sweep). (various references) | |
Romansch | scua. (various references) | |
Romany | shoovàl. (various references) | |
Ruanda | umukubuzo. (various references) | |
Russian | метла (besom, broomstick). (various references) | |
Samoan | salu. (various references) | |
Scottish | bealaidh. (various references) | |
Sepedi | leswielo. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | portviš, metla (besom), mesti, žutilovka, žutilica (woodwax). (various references) | |
Shona | tsvairo. (various references) | |
Spanish | retama, escoba (besom, broomstick, brush, sweeper). (various references) | |
Sranan | sisibi. (various references) | |
Swahili | ufagio. (various references) | |
Swazi | úm-shányelo. (various references) | |
Swedish | kvast (whisk), ginst (Genista, greenweed). (various references) | |
Turkish | süpürge (whisk). (various references) | |
Turkmen | sьbce. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | віник, мітла (besom), мести (besom). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | cán chổi (broom-stick). (various references) | |
Welsh | banhadlen, ysgubell (besom), ysgub (sheaf). (various references) | |
Yucatec | miis. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | virga. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "broom": broomball, broomballer, broomballers, broomballs, broomcorn, broomcorns, broomed, broomier, broomiest, brooming, broomrape, broomrapes, brooms, broomstick, broomsticks, broomy. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "broom": clubroom. (additional references) | |
Words containing "broom": clubrooms. (additional references) | |
| |
"Broom" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: aroom, Barsoom, Barsoum, beroom, Biofoam, Birodom, boomn, Boram, borbon, borbone, bordom, borim, Boroma, Bricom, Brikom, broam, Broin, broj, Brolo, brom, Bromo, bron, broo, brooa, brooe, brool, broome, Broomy, Broon, broot, broow, brooz, broq, Broso, Broto, brou, broun, browm, Brpo, Burovoi, croom, droom, Kroom. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "broom" (pronounced bruw"m) |
| 3 | -r uw" m | groom, legroom, room, vroom. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: bromo. | |
| Words within the letters "b-m-o-o-r" | |
-1 letter: boom, boor, broo, moor, room. | |
-2 letters: boo, bro, mob, moo, mor, orb, rob, rom. | |
-3 letters: bo, mo, om, or. | |
| Words containing the letters "b-m-o-o-r" | |
+1 letter: boomer, bromos, brooms, broomy. | |
+2 letters: barroom, bedroom, bloomer, boomers, boomier, boredom, broomed, lobworm, preboom, rebloom. | |
+3 letters: backroom, ballroom, barrooms, bathroom, bedrooms, bloomers, bloomery, bloomier, bollworm, bookmark, bookworm, boredoms, boresome, bottomer, bottomry, broomier, brooming, clubroom, doorjamb, foreboom, gombroon, jeroboam, lobworms, mobocrat, mopboard, motorbus, reblooms, rehoboam, rhomboid, ribosome, robotism, sombrero, sombrous, trombone. | |
+4 letters: backrooms, ballrooms, bathrooms, bedroomed, bloodworm, boardroom, bollworms, bolometer, bombardon, bombproof, boogerman, boogermen, bookmaker, bookmarks, bookworms, boomerang, bottomers, broadloom, broodmare, broomball, broomcorn, broomiest, broomrape, clubrooms, combustor, corymbose, coxcombry, doorjambs, elbowroom, forebooms, gombroons, imbroglio, jeroboams, mobocracy, mobocrats, moldboard, mopboards, motorbike, motorboat, rebloomed, rehoboams, rhomboids, ribosomal, ribosomes, robotisms, scombroid, sombreros, trombones. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Sounds 10. Quotations: Fiction 11. Quotations: Non-fiction 12. Usage Frequency | 13. Names: Frequency 14. Expressions 15. Expressions: Internet 16. Translations: Modern | 17. Translations: Ancient 18. Abbreviations 19. Acronyms 20. Derivations | 21. Rhymes 22. Anagrams 23. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
