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  1. besom love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A bundle of twigs attached to a handle and used as a broom.
  2. n. Sports The broom used to sweep the ice from the path of a curling stone.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A brush of twigs for sweeping; hence, a broom of any kind.
  2. n. A name given to the common broom of Europe, Cytisus scoparius, and to the heather, Calluna vulgaris, because both are used for besoms.
  3. n. [Pron. biz′ um.] A contemptuous epithet for a low, worthless woman.
  4. To sweep as with a besom.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A broom made from a bundle of twigs tied onto a shaft.
  2. v. archaic, poetic To sweep.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. Archaic or Fig. A brush of twigs for sweeping; a broom; anything which sweeps away or destroys.
  2. v. Archaic or Poetic To sweep, as with a besom.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a broom made of twigs tied together on a long handle

Etymologies

  1. From Middle English besme, beseme, from Old English besma, besema ("besom, broom, rod"), from Proto-Germanic *besmô, *besamô (“broom”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰes- (“to rub off, grind, sprinkle”). Cognate with Scots besom, bisom ("a sweeping implement, broom"), West Frisian biezem ("broom"), Dutch bezem ("broom"), Low German bessen ("broom"), German Besen ("broom"). (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English, from Old English besma. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Note: [1] A besom is a long handled broom with the head made out of pieces of twig lashed together.”

    Grotesque

  • “The conjecture is confirmed by the name thunder-besom which is applied to mistletoe in the Swiss canton of Aargau, for the epithet clearly implies a close connexion between the parasite and the thunder; indeed "thunder-besom" is a popular name in Germany for any bushy nest-like excrescence growing on a branch, because such a parasitic growth is actually believed by the ignorant to be a product of lightning.”

    The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion

  • “The conjecture is confirmed by the name thunder-besom which is applied to mistletoe in the Swiss canton of Aargau, for the epithet clearly implies a close connexion between the parasite and the thunder; indeed “thunder-besom” is a popular name in Germany for any bushy nest-like excrescence growing on a branch, because such a parasitic growth is actually believed by the ignorant to be a product of lightning.”

    Chapter 68. The Golden Bough

  • “The conjecture is confirmed by the name thunder-besom which is applied to mistletoe in the Swiss canton of Aargau, for the epithet clearly implies a close connexion between the parasite and the thunder; indeed”

    The Golden Bough

  • “Theobald replaced the meaningless epithet 'besom' by”

    A Life of William Shakespeare with portraits and facsimiles

  • “The conjecture is confirmed by the name thunder-besom which is applied to mistletoe in the Swiss canton of Aargau, for the epithet clearly implies a close connexion between the parasite and the thunder; indeed “thunder-besom” is a popular name in Germany for any bushy nest-like excrescence growing on a branch, because such a parasitic growth is actually believed by the ignorant to be a product of lightning.”

    The Golden Bough : a study of magic and religion

  • “All good suits have "besom" pockets - that is, a narrow edge sewn in two lines around the slit.”

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed

  • “Yon's twa weavers and a mason cursing the laird, and the man wi 'the besom is the Master of Crumnathie. ”

    The Little Minister

  • “besom" and there were two thousand recorded deaths beside multitudes unnoted.”

    Internet Archive: De la philosophie de la nature

  • “The spa offers a traditional Russian banya experience, involving a ritual of hot saunas, cold baths and an invigorating banya besom treatment—a stimulating massage using birch or oak twigs.”

    The Wall Street Journal: Latvia's Burgeoning Spa Scene

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synonyms (1)

Words with the same meaning

  1. broom

hypernyms (1)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. broom

same context (6)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. televangelist
  1. deevil
  1. dustpan
  1. mick
  1. Orton
  1. annhiliation

reverse dictionary (9)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. buzzom
  1. besom
  1. besomer
  1. scopularia
  1. scopiform
  1. whisk
  1. broom
  1. hassock
  1. sweep

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  • hernesheir A contemptuous designation for a low woman; a prostitute. --Dr. Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary and Supplement, 1841. Jun 24, 2011

  • Casey "It is unlikely that Rhea would have seen Susan's face through the dense overgrowth of pig ivy even if the old besom had been looking in that direction, and she wasn't." From Wizard and Glass by Stephen King. Jan 21, 2011

  • yarb Mr. James sat up. "What's that? What is it you're saying? Hec, you're talking of making a pair, are you?" Amusement always made his voice sound gross. "Has he asked you to marry him then, ye shy wee besom?"

    - Rebecca West, The Judge Jul 29, 2009

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‘besom’ has been looked up 2442 times, loved by 2 people, added to 25 lists, commented on 3 times, and has a Scrabble score of 9.