What does broom mean?
A broom is a long-handled cleaning tool consisting of stiff bristles, twigs, or synthetic fibers attached to a pole, used for sweeping dust and debris from floors and outdoor surfaces. It is one of the oldest household implements, and the modern push broom remains a staple of homes, stables, and workshops worldwide. The word also names a hardy shrub with bright yellow flowers, common on European heaths and wasteland — and this plant sense actually came first, since the shrub's supple branches were traditionally bundled together to make sweeping brushes. Figuratively, 'a new broom' describes a recently appointed leader expected to bring sweeping change, as in the proverb 'a new broom sweeps clean.' In folklore and popular culture, witches are famously depicted riding brooms through the night sky, giving the word a vivid cultural afterlife that keeps it far more memorable than most household objects.
A long-handled brush of bristles, twigs, or fibers used for sweeping.
"She swept the leaves off the step with an old birch-twig broom."
A yellow-flowered Eurasian shrub (Cytisus scoparius) of the legume family, growing on heaths and wasteland.
"The moorland was ablaze with blooming broom."
Regular plural; used for multiple sweeping implements.
"The caretaker kept several brooms in the closet by the gym."
The plant came first: 'broom' originally named the yellow-flowering shrub, which people bound into bundles precisely because its twiggy branches made such good sweepers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of broom
The word derives from Old English 'brōm', which named the yellow-flowering shrub itself, tracing back through Germanic roots shared with related words such as 'bramble'. Because the shrub's flexible branches were ideal for binding into sweeping brushes, the name transferred to the implement by the Middle English period. A cousin form survives in the older word 'besom', a bundle-of-twigs broom still known in British dialect.
Related word forms
How broom is actually used
In American English, 'broom' is the everyday term for a sweeping brush; in British English it competes with the older, more rustic 'besom'. The botanical sense is largely literary or regional today, though the plant gives the word its origin.
Easily confused with broom
A brougham is a closed horse-drawn carriage or an early style of car, sometimes spelled and even pronounced like 'broom', whereas a broom is a sweeping implement.