broach1
/brəʊtʃ
/- Colonel Everson broached the difficult subject with the wizard.
- But, perhaps with a few revisions, Pacamambo could become one of those unflinching stories that teachers and parents can rely on to broach difficult subjects.
- It was difficult to broach the subject of empowerment or rehabilitation.
Synonyms
- No barrel was broached at this year's Oktoberfest, since host Ina couldn't find the hammer.
- Only St-Joseph and that paler shadow Crozes-Hermitage can sensibly be broached within their first five years.
- Pattaya Mail's Peter Malhotra broached the ceremonial keg while muttering the immortal words ‘Ozapft is’ (the keg is tapped).
- I hope they broach their bottles, because the whisky, with its honey and praline richness, deserves it.
- Hesitated before the bathroom mirror and then, feeling slightly ridiculous, broached a bottle of cologne-for-men which Susan had given for the previous Christmas.
- With the directors of the hospital surrounding him, plus the mayor of Pattaya, Pairat Suthithamrongsawat, the ceremonial bottle of bubbly was broached on the dais and the award acknowledged in fine style.
- A dozen of us watch five sperm whales broach, and then hyperventilate like marathoners on the starting line, filling every air-bearing cell with oxygen.
- He's seen whales broach within yards of his kayak.
- Outsiders think we locals are jaded by the natural wonder of this place but the truth is, when a whale broaches, we glare like tourists.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French brochier, based on Latin brocchus, broccus 'projecting'. The earliest recorded sense was 'prick with spurs', generally 'pierce', which gave rise (late Middle English) to sense 2. sense 1, a figurative use of this, dates from the late 16th century.
brochure from mid 18th century:
Although now associated particularly with holidays, brochure is a French word meaning ‘stitching’ or ‘stitched work’. The connection is that the first brochures were little booklets that were roughly stitched together rather than properly bound. The root, Latin brocchus or broccus ‘projecting [tooth] something that pierces’, connects brochure with broach (Middle English) ‘to pierce a cask’ and brooch (Middle English). This was originally a variant of broach and meant a skewer (as in brochette (Late Middle English)) and then an ornamental pin. Broccoli (late 17th century) is from the same source, which became brocco ‘sprout, shoot, projecting tooth’ in Italian, and then broccoli ‘little sprouts’.
Rhymes
broach2
/brəʊtʃ/- As one big sea washed us too far around back into the wind, with that weight of sail above, we broached.
- After dark, however, the wind rose, and I spent a hairy night giving all my attention to the helm to keep the boat from broaching and turning dangerously crosswise to the rising seas.
- Yes, but I don't want us to broach to and go over if the wind shifts.
- The boat commenced surfing down the face of each new wave, at high speed, and I had to steer the boat aggressively to prevent a broach.
- If this can be offset by rudder action the boat will remain on course, otherwise sail adjustment is necessary to prevent a broach.
- The rudder sits in the outflow of the keel and is called upon to provide lift at very small angles of attack and not stall when required to prevent a broach.
Origin
Early 18th century: of unknown origin.