noun
besom
Besom (noun) means a broom made by tying a bunch of twigs to a long handle.
noun
1
A broom made by tying a bunch of twigs to a long handle.
"At Ickwell Green, in Bedfordshire, there is a permanent maypole. There, the May Queen is accompanied by moggies (raggedly dressed women) carrying besoms - birch-twig brooms."
— AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd (1980)
2
(informal) A woman seen as annoying or difficult to deal with.
"Uncle Angus went on about the behavior of the car. "She's a besom, a proper besom, her and her gears. She'll be the death of me yet one of these days.""
— Margaret McLean MacPherson, The Shinty Boys (1963)
""She's a besom but no' bad at times, like now," Agnes said as she bit into a dough-ring."
— Nora Kay, Best Friends (2013)
3
Something used to clean or purify.
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English besme, beseme, from Old English besma, besema ("besom, broom, rod"), from Proto-West Germanic *besmō ("broom").
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of besom?
"besom" (noun) means a broom made by tying a bunch of twigs to a long handle.
What are the different meanings of besom?
"besom" has 3 main meanings: 1. A broom made by tying a bunch of twigs to a long handle; 2. (informal) A woman seen as annoying or difficult to deal with; 3. Something used to clean or purify.
