Broomcorn
/ˈbruːmˌkɔːrn/noun
A variety of sorghum grown for its long, stiff panicles, which are used to make brooms.
Did you know?Broomcorn is not a single root-word mystery but a compound of broom + corn, and the “corn” here once meant any grain, not the American maize we mean today.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
brōm
“broom; a shrub with twigs used for sweeping”
Old English
OE
corn
“grain; seed; small hard particle”
Middle English
ME
brome corn
“grain or plant associated with brooms; later a descriptive plant name”
19th Century
English
broom-corn
“a sorghum grown for broom-making”
Modern English
English
broomcorn
“a sorghum cultivated for its broom-making stalks”