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broach 1 (brōch)
Share:
tr.v. broached, broach·ing, broach·es
1.
a. To bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate.
b. To announce: We broached our plans for the new year.
2. To pierce in order to draw off liquid: broach a keg of beer.
3. To draw off (a liquid) by piercing a hole in a cask or other container.
4. To shape or enlarge (a hole) with a tapered, serrated tool.
n.
1.
a. A tapered, serrated tool used to shape or enlarge a hole.
b. The hole made by such a tool.
2. A spit for roasting meat.
3. A mason's narrow chisel.
4. A gimlet for tapping or broaching casks.
5. Variant of brooch.

[Middle English brochen, to pierce, probably from broche, pointed weapon or implement, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *brocca, from Latin broccus, projecting.]

broacher n.

Synonyms: broach1, introduce, moot, raise
These verbs mean to bring forward a point, topic, or question for consideration or discussion: broach the subject tactfully; introduce a tax bill before the legislature; an idea that was mooted before the committee; raised the problem of dropouts with the faculty.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.