Broke
/broʊk/noun
Past tense of 'break', meaning to have caused something to separate into pieces or to stop functioning.
Did you know?The word 'broke' shares roots with 'broken', which in older contexts often referred to a shattered state of being, linking to themes of endings and new beginnings.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bherk-
“to break or crack”
Old English
Old English
brocian
“to break or burst”
Middle English
Middle English
brok
“past participle of 'break' or to be shattered”
Modern English
English
broke
“past tense of 'break'”