Broads

[ brawdz ]

/ brɔdz /

noun

The, (used with a plural verb) a low-lying region in E England, in Norfolk and Suffolk: bogs and marshy lakes.

Definition for broads (2 of 2)

broad

[ brawd ]

/ brɔd /

adjective, broad·er, broad·est.

of great breadth: The river was too broad to swim across.

measured from side to side: The desk was three feet broad.

of great extent; large: the broad expanse of ocean.

widely diffused; open; full: We awoke to broad daylight.

not limited or narrow; of extensive range or scope: A modern doctor must have a broad knowledge of medicine.

liberal; tolerant: A broad interpretation of the law tempers justice with mercy.

main or general: the broad outlines of a subject.

plain or clear: Her remark was a broad hint of her feelings.

bold; plain-spoken.

indelicate; indecent: He smirked at the broad joke.

(of conversation) rough; countrified.

unconfined; free; unrestrained: It was a hilarious evening of broad mirth.

(of pronunciation) strongly dialectal: He wore kilts and had a broad Scots accent.

Phonetics. (of a transcription) using one basic symbol to represent each phoneme.

broad a, the a-sound

[ah] /ɑ/ when used in lieu of the more common a-sound

[a] /æ/ in such words as half, can't, and laugh.

adverb

fully: He was broad awake.

noun

the broad part of anything.

Slang.

Usually Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman.
a promiscuous woman.

Often broads. Movies, Television. an incandescent or fluorescent lamp used as a general source of light in a studio.

a gold coin of England and Scotland, issued by James I and Charles I and equal to 20 shillings.Compare carolus, jacobus.

Origin of broad

before 1000; Middle English bro(o)d, Old English brād; cognate with Dutch breed, German breit, Old Norse breithr, Gothic braiths

SYNONYMS FOR broad

1 See wide.

3 extensive, ample, vast.

5 liberal, open.

10 gross.

ANTONYMS FOR broad

1 narrow.

Related formsbroad·ish, adjectivebroad·ly, adverbo·ver·broad, adjective

Usage note

When used to refer to a woman, broad is usually perceived as insulting. The meaning “promiscuous woman” is probably the earlier sense.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for broads

I cannot do more than cursorily mention the abundant life which teems amid the Broads.
The Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk & Suffolk|G. Christopher Davies
Although many thousands know well the district of the Broads, yet to the bulk of people it is still a terra incognita.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
These Broads are large shallow lakes, connected with the rivers, and are many of them navigable.
The Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk & Suffolk|G. Christopher Davies
For it is quite clear that journeys by rail cannot show one the life of the Broads.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.

Here and there amid the wide extent of marsh are large lakes or lagoons, which are locally termed "broads."
The Swan and Her Crew|George Christopher Davies

British Dictionary definitions for broads (1 of 2)

Broads

/ (brɔːdz) /

pl n the Broads

a group of shallow navigable lakes, connected by a network of rivers, in E England, in Norfolk and Suffolk

the region around these lakes: a tourist centre; several bird sanctuaries

British Dictionary definitions for broads (2 of 2)

broad

/ (brɔːd) /

adjective

having relatively great breadth or width

of vast extent; spaciousa broad plain

(postpositive) from one side to the otherfour miles broad

of great scope or potentialthat invention had broad applications

not detailed; generalbroad plans

clear and open; full (esp in the phrase broad daylight)

obvious or plainbroad hints

liberal; toleranta broad political stance

widely spread; extensivebroad support

outspoken or bolda broad manner

vulgar; coarse; indecenta broad joke

unrestrained; freebroad laughter

(of a dialect or pronunciation) consisting of a large number of speech sounds characteristic of a particular geographical areaa broad Yorkshire accent

finance denoting an assessment of liquidity as including notes and coin in circulation with the public, banks' till money and balances, most private-sector bank deposits, and sterling bank-deposit certificatesbroad money Compare narrow (def. 7)

phonetics

of or relating to a type of pronunciation transcription in which symbols correspond approximately to phonemes without taking account of allophonic variations
broad a the long vowel in English words such as father, half, as represented in the received pronunciation of Southern British English

as broad as it is long amounting to the same thing; without advantage either way

noun

the broad part of something

slang, mainly US and Canadian

a girl or woman
a prostitute

British dialect a river spreading over a lowlandSee also Broads

East Anglian dialect a shallow lake

a wood-turning tool used for shaping the insides and bottoms of cylinders

adverb

widely or fullybroad awake

Derived Formsbroadly, adverbbroadness, noun

Word Origin for broad

Old English brād; related to Old Norse breithr, Old Frisian brēd, Old High German breit, Gothic braiths

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

Word Origin and History for broads (1 of 2)

broad

adj.

Old English brad "broad, flat, open, extended," from Proto-Germanic *braithaz (cf. Old Frisian bred, Old Norse breiðr, Dutch breed, German breit, Gothic brouþs), of unknown origin. Not found outside Germanic languages. No clear distinction in sense from wide. Related: Broadly. Broad-brim as a style of hat (1680s, broad-brimmed) in 18c.-19c. suggested "Quaker male" from their characteristic attire.

Word Origin and History for broads (1 of 2)

broad

"woman," slang, 1911, perhaps suggestive of broad (adj.) hips, but it also might trace to American English abroadwife, word for a woman (often a slave) away from her husband. Earliest use of the slang word suggests immorality or coarse, low-class women. Because of this negative association, and the rise of women's athletics, the track and field broad jump was changed to the long jump c.1967.

Idioms and Phrases with broads

broad

In addition to the idioms beginning with broad

broad daylight
broad in the beam
broad shoulders, have

also see:

can't hit the broad side of a barn

Broads

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Definition for broads (2 of 2)

broad

adjective, broad·er, broad·est.

adverb

noun

Origin of broad

Usage note

Examples from the Web for broads

British Dictionary definitions for broads (1 of 2)

Broads

pl n the Broads

British Dictionary definitions for broads (2 of 2)

broad

adjective

noun

adverb

Word Origin for broad

Word Origin and History for broads (1 of 2)

broad

Word Origin and History for broads (1 of 2)

broad

Idioms and Phrases with broads

broad