n. [ OE. broche, F. broche, fr. LL. brocca; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. proc thrust, stab, Gael. brog awl. Cf. Brooch. ] 1. A spit. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He turned a broach that had worn a crown. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An awl; a bodkin; also, a wooden rod or pin, sharpened at each end, used by thatchers. [ Prov. Eng. ] Forby. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mech.) (a) A tool of steel, generally tapering, and of a polygonal form, with from four to eight cutting edges, for smoothing or enlarging holes in metal; sometimes made smooth or without edges, as for burnishing pivot holes in watches; a reamer. The broach for gun barrels is commonly square and without taper. (b) A straight tool with file teeth, made of steel, to be pressed through irregular holes in metal that cannot be dressed by revolving tools; a drift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Masonry) A broad chisel for stonecutting. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Arch.) A spire rising from a tower. [ Local, Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A clasp for fastening a garment. See Brooch. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A spitlike start, on the head of a young stag. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. The stick from which candle wicks are suspended for dipping. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. The pin in a lock which enters the barrel of the key. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Broached p. pr. & vb. n. Broaching. ] [ F. brocher, fr. broche. See Broach, n. ] 1. To spit; to pierce as with a spit. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To tap; to pierce, as a cask, in order to draw the liquor. Hence: To let out; to shed, as blood. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade,
He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To open for the first time, as stores. [ 1913 Webster ]

You shall want neither weapons, victuals, nor aid; I will open the old armories, I will broach my store, and will bring forth my stores. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To make public; to utter; to publish first; to put forth; to introduce as a topic of conversation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those very opinions themselves had broached. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To cause to begin or break out. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Masonry) To shape roughly, as a block of stone, by chiseling with a coarse tool. [ Scot. & North of Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To enlarge or dress (a hole), by using a broach. [ 1913 Webster ]

To broach to (Naut.), to incline suddenly to windward, so as to lay the sails aback, and expose the vessel to the danger of oversetting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A spit; a broach. [ 1913 Webster ]

On five sharp broachers ranked, the roast they turned. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who broaches, opens, or utters; a first publisher or promoter. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some such broacher of heresy. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The broad part of anything; as, the broad of an oar. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The spread of a river into a sheet of water; a flooded fen. [ Local, Eng. ] Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A woman, especially one who is sexually promiscuous; -- usually considered offensive. [ slang ] [ PJC ]

a. [ Compar. Broader superl. Broadest. ] [ OE. brod, brad, AS. brād; akin to OS. brēd, D. breed, G. breit, Icel. breiðr, Sw. & Dan. bred, Goth. braids. Cf. Breadth. ] 1. Wide; extend in breadth, or from side to side; -- opposed to narrow; as, a broad street, a broad table; an inch broad. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Extending far and wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full. “Broad and open day.” Bp. Porteus. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fig.: Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained; -- applied to any subject, and retaining the literal idea more or less clearly, the precise meaning depending largely on the substantive. [ 1913 Webster ]

A broad mixture of falsehood. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hence: - [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged. [ 1913 Webster ]

The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case. D. Daggett. [ 1913 Webster ]

In a broad, statesmanlike, and masterly way. E. Everett. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Plain; evident; as, a broad hint. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Free; unrestrained; unconfined. [ 1913 Webster ]

As broad and general as the casing air. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Fine Arts) Characterized by breadth. See Breadth. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. Strongly marked; as, a broad Scotch accent. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Broad is often used in compounds to signify wide, large, etc.; as, broad-chested, broad-shouldered, broad-spreading, broad-winged. [ 1913 Webster ]

Broad acres. See under Acre. --
Broad arrow, originally a pheon. See Pheon, and Broad arrow under Arrow. --
As broad as long, having the length equal to the breadth; hence, the same one way as another; coming to the same result by different ways or processes. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is as broad as long, whether they rise to others, or bring others down to them. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

Broad pennant. See under Pennant. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Wide; large; ample; expanded; spacious; roomy; extensive; vast; comprehensive; liberal. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. 1. An ancient military weapon; a battle-ax. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An ax with a broad edge, for hewing timber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an Old World upright plant grown esp. for its large flat edible seeds but also as fodder.
Syn. -- broad bean, broad-bean plant, English bean, European bean, field bean, Vicia faba. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Zool.) A wild duck (Aythya marila, or Fuligula marila), which appears in large numbers on the eastern coast of the United States, in autumn; -- called also bluebill, blackhead, raft duck, and scaup duck. See Scaup duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The shoveler. See Shoveler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A hat with a very broad brim, like those worn by men of the society of Friends. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A member of the society of Friends; a Quaker. [ Sportive ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a broad brim. [ 1913 Webster ]

A broad-brimmed flat silver plate. Tatler. [ 1913 Webster ]