Broom
/bruːm/noun
A tool with a long handle and bristles used for sweeping.
Did you know?The sweeping tool was named after the broom plant because early brushes were made from its stiff twigs, which helped cement the plant’s later association with witches and ritual flight in folklore.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brōmaz
“broom plant”
Old English
OE
brōm
“broom, broom plant”
Middle English
ME
brome
“broom, broom plant; later a sweeping implement”
Late Middle English
English
brome broom
“a brush made from broom twigs”
Modern English
English
broom
“a sweeping implement”