broomcorn

American  

[broom-kawrn, broom-] / ˈbrumˌkɔrn, ˈbrʊm- /

noun

1. any of several varieties of sorghum having a long, stiff-branched panicle used in the manufacture of brooms.

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broomcorn British  

/ ˈbruːmˌkɔːn, ˈbrʊm- /

noun

1. a variety of sorghum, Sorghum vulgare technicum , the long stiff flower stalks of which have been used for making brooms

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Etymology

Origin of broomcorn

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; broom + corn ¹

Example Sentences

Sanora Babb, who grew up in a dugout farming broomcorn in eastern Colorado, understood what it was like to grow up in poverty.

From Salon

Step 10: Repeat steps 1-9 for the second broom, using your other half of the broomcorn bundle.

From Salon

Their family tree, which went back approximately 9200 years, suggested a common origin for dozens of words related to the growing and harvesting of a grain known as broomcorn millet.

From Science Magazine

And the ingredients they discovered are as eclectic as any trendy brewpub’s: broomcorn millet, tubers and a grain known as Job’s tears.

From New York Times

The find included pots and pottery funnels, covered with a residue of broomcorn millet, barley, a chewy grain known as Job's tears, and tubers.

From BBC