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 • Oct. 15, 2024

Step 5: Wind twine around the broomcorn bunch several times to achieve desired thickness, tightness is key as it can loosen over time.

From Salon • Jul. 28, 2022

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 • Nov. 10, 2021

Many homeowners keep one of each on hand, using the softer, plastic bristles on sensitive hardwoods and the hardier broomcorn for heavier jobs.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2012

Around 1200 B.C., toward the end of the Jomon period, a few grains of rice, barley, foxtail millet, and broomcorn millet, the staple cereals of East Asia, began to appear.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond