broadside

[brawd-sahyd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR broadside ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the whole side of a ship above the water line, from the bow to the quarter.

Navy.

all the guns that can be fired from one side of a warship.
a simultaneous discharge of all the guns on one side of a warship.

any strong or comprehensive attack, as by criticism.

Also called broadsheet.

a sheet of paper printed on one or both sides, as for distribution or posting.
any printed advertising circular.

any broad surface or side, as of a house.

Also called broadside ballad. a song, chiefly in 16th- and 17th-century England, written on a topical subject, printed on broadsides, and sung in public, as on a street corner, by a professional balladeer.

adverb

with the side, especially with the broader side, facing toward a given point or object: The truck hit the fence broadside.

in a wide-ranging manner; at random: to attack the president's policies broadside.

verb (used without object), broad·sid·ed, broad·sid·ing.

to proceed or go broadside.

to fire a broadside or broadsides.

verb (used with object), broad·sid·ed, broad·sid·ing.

to collide with or run into the side of (a vehicle, object, person, etc.): We got broadsided on the freeway.

to make concerted verbal attacks on: The president was broadsided by the opposition.

Origin of broadside

First recorded in 1565–75; broad + side¹

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

Examples from the Web for broadside

A broadside advertising them in 1864 emphasized their appeal to “the Democratic Social Circle”—whatever that was.
How a Racist Newspaper Defeated Lincoln in New York in the 1864 Election|Harold Holzer|May 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That broadside forced Romney to go a step or two further in defense of his plan than he usually prefers to go.
Michael Tomasky on How Rick Santorum Nailed Mitt on Romneycare|Michael Tomasky|January 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The government agency backed its broadside against Hope, claiming to have received “indignant protests” over the ad campaign.
Too Sexy for Brazil|Mac Margolis|October 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The continual report of our broadside guns had been heard for quite a distance north and south of Murrell Inlet.
The Story of a Strange Career|Anonymous

From the broadside tubes torpedoes could be trained through an arc of 30 degrees.
A Sub and a Submarine|Percy F. Westerman
This ballad was copied from a broadside in the possession of the library of Harvard University.
Poems of American History|Various
On their refusing to do so, he fired a broadside into the nearest ship.
A True Hero|W.H.G. Kingston
The first broadside of the Confiance killed and disabled forty of the Saratoga's crew.
Vermont|Rowland E. Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for broadside

broadside

noun

nautical the entire side of a vessel, from stem to stern and from waterline to rail

navy

all the armament fired from one side of a warship
the simultaneous discharge of such armament

a strong or abusive verbal or written attack

Also called: broadside ballad a ballad or popular song printed on one side of a sheet of paper and sold by hawkers, esp in 16th-century England

any standard size of paper before cutting or foldingdemy broadside

another name for broadsheet (def. 1)

a large flat surfacethe broadside of the barn

adverb

with a broader side facing an object; sidewaysthe train hit the lorry broadside

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 broadside

1590s, "side of a ship" (technically, "the side of a ship above the water, between the bow and the quarter"), from broad (adj.) + side (n.); thus "the artillery on one side of a ship all fired off at once" (1590s, with figurative extensions). Two words until late 18c. Of things other than ships, 1630s. But oldest-recorded sense in English is "sheet of paper printed only on one side" (1570s).

broadside

noun

adverb

verb (used without object), broad·sid·ed, broad·sid·ing.

verb (used with object), broad·sid·ed, broad·sid·ing.

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Origin of broadside

Examples from the Web for broadside

broadside

noun

adverb