besom

[ bee-zuhm ]

/ ˈbi zəm /

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noun

a broom, especially one of brush or twigs.

broom (def. 2).

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Origin of besom

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

Words nearby besom

slated for, be, beslobber, besmear, besmirch, sold on, be, besom, besom pocket, besot, besotted, besought, bespake

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use besom in a sentence

When I had washed my foster-sister's feet I took a besom and began to sweep the floor of the house.
The King of Ireland's Son|Padraic Colum
The wind favored them, and a besom of flame swept over the devoted town until over one-half of it was laid in ruins.
South American Fights and Fighters|Cyrus Townsend Brady
They had not; but, search being made, sure enough, each husband missed a besom and a riddle.
The Mysteries of All Nations|James Grant
The notorious besom or broomstick is an instrument in the operations of witchcraft common to all the Aryan nations.
Traditions, Superstitions and Folk-lore|Charles Hardwick

It was seen during the months of November, December, and January, and was called "the fiery besom."
The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland|John Knox

British Dictionary definitions for besom (1 of 2)

besom¹

/ (ˈbiːzəm) /

noun

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

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

verb (tr)

to sweep with a besom

Word Origin for besom

Old English besma; related to Old High German besmo broom

British Dictionary definitions for besom (2 of 2)

besom²

/ (ˈbɪzəm, ˈbizəm) /

noun

Scot and Northern English dialect a derogatory term for a woman

Word Origin for besom

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

besom

Origin of besom

Words nearby besom

Words related to besom

How to use besom in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for besom (1 of 2)

Word Origin for besom

British Dictionary definitions for besom (2 of 2)

Word Origin for besom