besom

[ bee-zuhm ]
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noun
  1. a broom, especially one of brush or twigs.

Origin of besom

1
before 1000; Middle English besem,Old English bes(e)ma; cognate with Dutch bezem,German Besen

Words Nearby besom

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How to use besom in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for besom (1 of 2)

besom1

/ (ˈbiːzəm) /


noun
  1. a broom, esp one made of a bundle of twigs tied to a handle

  2. curling a broom or brush used to sweep the ice in front of the stone to make it slide farther

verb(tr)
  1. to sweep with a besom

Origin of besom

1
Old English besma; related to Old High German besmo broom

British Dictionary definitions for besom (2 of 2)

besom2

/ (ˈbɪzəm, ˈbizəm) /


noun
  1. Scot and Northern English dialect a derogatory term for a woman

Origin of besom

2
perhaps from Old English bysen example; related to Old Norse bysn wonder

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012