O.E. brad, from P.Gmc. *braithaz (cf. O.Fris. bred, O.N. breiðr, Du. breed, Ger. breit, Goth. brouþs), of unknown origin. Not found outside Gmc. languages. Slang extension to meaning "woman" (1911) may be suggestive of broad hips, but it also may trace to Amer.Eng. abroadwife, for a woman away from her husband, often a slave. Earliest use suggests immorality or coarse, low-class women. Because of this negative association, and the rise of women in athletics, the track and field broad jump was changed to the long jump c. 1967. Broadside (nautical), 1591, "the side of a ship above the water, between the bow and the quarter." Broadcast, originally "scattering seed" (1767), applied to radio waves 1921. Broadsword is O.E. brad swurd. There was a street named Broadway in many towns; the allusive use for "New York theater district" is first recorded 1881.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other; "wide roads"; "a wide necktie"; "wide margins"; "three feet wide"; "a river two miles broad"; "broad shoulders"; "a broad river" [syn: wide] [ant: narrow]
2.
broad in scope or content; "across-the-board pay increases"; "an all-embracing definition"; "blanket sanctions against human-rights violators"; "an invention with broad applications"; "a panoptic study of Soviet nationality"- T.G.Winner; "granted him wide powers"
3.
not detailed or specific; "a broad rule"; "the broad outlines of the plan"; "felt an unspecific dread"
4.
lacking subtlety; obvious; "gave us a broad hint that it was time to leave"
5.
being at a peak or culminating point; "broad daylight"; "full summer"
6.
very large in expanse or scope; "a broad lawn"; "the wide plains"; "a spacious view"; "spacious skies"
7.
(of speech) heavily and noticeably regional; "a broad southern accent"
8.
showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant of his opponent's opinions"
noun
1.
slang term for a woman; "a broad is a woman who can throw a mean punch"
Broad Brook, CT (CDP, FIPS 8770) Location: 41.90900 N, 72.54440 W Population (1990): 3585 (1497 housing units) Area: 15.3 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Broad Fields, KY (city, FIPS 9766) Location: 38.24105 N, 85.65185 W Population (1990): 273 (135 housing units) Area: 0.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Broad Top City, PA (borough, FIPS 8896) Location: 40.20154 N, 78.14066 W Population (1990): 331 (150 housing units) Area: 1.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Breadth\, n. [OE. brede, breede, whence later bredette, AS. br?du, fr. br[=a]d broad. See Broad, a.]1. Distance from side to side of any surface or thing; measure across, or at right angles to the length; width. 2. (Fine Arts) The quality of having the colors and shadows broad and massive, and the arrangement of objects such as to avoid to great multiplicity of details, producing an impression of largeness and simple grandeur; -- called also breadth of effect. Breadth of coloring is a prominent character in the painting of all great masters. --Weale.
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Audio Help [brawd] Pronunciation Key adjective, -er, -est, adverb, noun 
