Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BRO'CA-TEL, or BRO-CA-TEL'LO, n. [Sp. brocatel.]

1. A calcarious stone or species of marble, composed of fragments of four colors, white, gray, yellow and red. – Fourcroy. Nicholson. Sp. Dict.
2. A kind of coarse brocade, used chiefly for tapestry. Newman says it is made of hemp and silk. – Encyc. Newman's Span. Dict.

BROC'CO-LI, n. [It. broccolo, sprouts; Fr. brocoli.]

A variety of cabbage or Brassica.

BROCHE, n.

The true, but not the common orthography of Broach.

BROCK, n. [Sax. broc; Ir. broc; Corn. id.; W. broc, a badger, and noise, din, tumult, foam, anger; broçi, to chafe, fume, wax fierce, from rhoc, a rough sound; rhoçain, to grunt. – Owen.]

A badger; an animal of the genus Ursus, found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia. The Russians call it barsuk. In Ir. brech is a wolf, a wild savage and a badger.

BROCK'ET, n. [See Brock.]

A red deer two years old. Bailey writes this brock or brocket. The French write it brocard.

BRO'DE-KIN, n. [Fr. brodequin.]

A buskin or half boot. – Echard.

BRO'GANS, n.

Stout, coarse shoes; the same as brogue, which see.

BROG'GLE, v.i.

To fish for eels. [Not used.]

BROGUE, n. [brog; Ir. brog, a shoe, a house.]

1. A shoe. “Clouted brogues,” in Shakespeare, signify shoes whose soles are studded with nails, or clouts.
2. A cant word for a corrupt dialect or manner of pronunciation. – Farquhar.
3. Brogues is used by Shenstone for breeches, from the Irish brog.

BROGUE'MAK-ER, n.

A maker of brogues. – Johnson.

BROID, v.t.

To braid. [Obs.] [See Braid.]

BROID'ER, v.t. [Fr. broder; Sp. and Port. bordar, to embroider; Arm. brouda, to prick; D. borduuren, to embroider; W. brodiaw, to make compact, to darn, to embroider; brwyd, a broach, an embroidering frame. Qu. Heb. and Ar. ברד brad, spotted.]

To adorn with figures of needle work. A robe, a broidered coat, and a girdle. – Exod.

BROID'ER-ER, n.

One that embroiders.

BROID'ER-Y, n.

Embroidery; ornamental needle work wrought upon cloth. [See Embroider.] – Tickel.

BROIL, n. [Fr. brouillerie, from brouiller, to mix, confound, embroil; It. broglia, tumult; brogliare, to embroil. From this verb, we have roil, to disturb, as lees. See Roil. The primary sense is, to stir, to agitate. It may be allied to brawl and the French bruler.]

A tumult; a noisy quarrel; contention; discord, either between individuals or in the state. – Shak. Granville.

BROIL, v.i.

To be subjected to the action of heat, like meat over the fire; to be greatly heated or to sweat with heat. Where have you been broiling? – Shak.

BROIL, v.t. [Qu. Fr. bruler. I believe this is from brouiller.]

To agitate with heat; to dress or cook over coals, before the fire; but more generally upon a gridiron over coals. – Dryden.

BROIL'ED, pp.

Agitated or dressed by heat.

BROIL'ER, n.

One that excites broils; that which dresses by broiling.

BROIL'ING, ppr.

Agitating by heat; sweating.

BROKE, pp. [and pret. of Break.]

BROKE, v.i. [Sax. brucan, to use, employ, enjoy; to eat or chew; to brook; to profit; broce, use; brec, use, gain; bryce, gain, profit, fruit, fructus; a violation, or breaking; Sw. bruka; G. brauchen; Dan. bruger; D. gebruiken, to use or employ; L. fruor, for frucor, whence fructus, fruit; Gr. πρασσω, πραξω, πραγμα. See Practice.]

To transact business for another in trade; to act as agent in buying and selling, and other commercial business; to transact business by an agent. – Bacon. Shak. [This word is little used, at least in America; and English writers seem to have used it in a low sense.]

BRO'KEN, pp. [of Break. brok'n.]

Parted by violence; rent asunder; infirm; made bankrupt.

BRO'KEN-BACK-ED, a.

A broken-backed ship is one which is so weakened in her frame as to droop at each end. – Mar. Dict.

BRO'KEN-BEL-LI-ED, a.

Having a ruptured belly. – Sandys.