broach

name

Etymology: From Gujarati ભરૂચ (bharūc).

1. Obsolete form of Bharuch.

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *brokkos Gaulish *brokkosbor.? Vulgar Latin broccus Vulgar Latin brocca Old French brochebor. Middle English broche English broach 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.

1. A series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel. For example, the toothed stone chisel shown here.
2. A broad chisel for stone-cutting.
3. Alternative spelling of brooch.

   “Mr. S. had a large straw hat, and striped jacket and trousers, and his shirt fastened at the throat by a broach with Carry's hair, for he was always quite above wearing a neckcloth.”

   “She pinned a broach on her jacket. When Viv saw it, she laughed. “Is that the best you can do? A flower broach?””

4. A spit for cooking food.

   “He turned a broach that had worn a crown.”

5. An awl; a bodkin; also, a wooden rod or pin, sharpened at each end, used by thatchers.

   “It [the straw] is laid on to a considerable thickness and firmly secured by ropes or twisted straw, and pinned down by sharpened sticks called 'broaches'”

6. A spire rising from a tower.
7. A spit-like start on the head of a young stag.
8. The stick from which candle wicks are suspended for dipping.
9. The pin in a lock which enters the barrel of the key.

verb

1. To be turned sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves.

   “The small boat broached and nearly sank, because of the large waves.”

2. To cause to turn sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves (usually followed by to; also figurative).

   “18th C, Thomas Dibdin, Tom Bowling Here a sheer hulk lies poor Tom Bowling ... for death hath broached him to.”

   “Each time we came around into the wind, the sea broached our bow.”

3. To break the surface of the water.

   “The Politovskiy soared through the surface of the Atlantic like a broaching whale, coming three quarters of her length out of the water before crashing back.”