broach

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɹəʊtʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /bɹoʊtʃ/
• Rhymes: -əʊtʃ
• Homophone: brooch

From Middle English broche, from Old French broche, from Vulgar Latin *brocca, originally a feminine form of Latin broccus, perhaps ultimately of Gaulish origin (see Scottish Gaelic brog; cognate to brochure).[1]

broach (plural broaches)

1. A series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel. For example, the toothed stone chisel shown here.
2. (masonry) A broad chisel for stone-cutting.
3. Alternative spelling of brooch
   • 2012, Cara C. Putman, A Promise Born

     She pinned a broach on her jacket.
     When Viv saw it, she laughed. “Is that the best you can do? A flower broach?”

4. A spit for cooking food.
   • Francis Bacon

     He turned a broach that had worn a crown.

5. An awl; a bodkin; also, a wooden rod or pin, sharpened at each end, used by thatchers.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Forby to this entry?)

6. (architecture, Britain, dialectal) A spire rising from a tower.
7. A spit-like start on the head of a young stag.
8. The stick from which candle wicks are suspended for dipping.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

9. The pin in a lock which enters the barrel of the key.

broach (third-person singular simple present broaches, present participle broaching, simple past and past participle broached)

1. (transitive) To make a hole in, especially a cask of liquor, and put in a tap in order to draw the liquid.
   • 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History

     How often has the broached barrel proved not to be for joy and heart effusion, but for duel and head-breakage.

2. (transitive) To open, to make an opening into; to pierce.

   French knights at Agincourt were unable to broach the English line.

3. (transitive, figuratively) To begin discussion about (something).

   I broached the subject of contraceptives carefully when the teenager mentioned his promiscuity.

   • 1913, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, chapter 4

     Yet he was much too much scared of broaching any man, let alone one in a peaked cap, to dare to ask.

   • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter VI

     I have tried on several occasions to broach the subject of my love to Lys; but she will not listen.

• brochure

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

broach (third-person singular simple present broaches, present participle broaching, simple past and past participle broached)

1. (intransitive) To be turned sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves.

   The small boat broached and nearly sank, because of the large waves.

2. (transitive) To cause to turn sideways to oncoming waves, especially large or breaking waves (usually followed by to; also figurative).
   • 18th C, Thomas Dibdin, w: Tom Bowling

     Here a sheer hulk lies poor Tom Bowling ... for death hath broached him to.

3. (transitive) To be overcome or submerged by a wave or surge of water.

   Each time we came around into the wind, the sea broached our bow.

• brutch, bruch, broche, brotch

From Middle English broche, from Old French broche, from Vulgar Latin *brocca, originally a feminine form of Latin broccus; possibly ultimately of Gaulish provenance.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrɒtʃ/
• (Southern Scots) IPA^(key): /ˈbrəʊtʃ/

broach (plural broachs)

1. (archaic) A spindle.
2. (archaic) A slender or thin person (especially as a nickname).