The Broom Was a Plant Before It Was a Tool
A broom sweeps floors. It is named after the shrub whose twigs were bundled to make one, and the plant still carries the name.
A broom is a long-handled brush for sweeping. The tool is named after the plant: broom is a yellow-flowered shrub with stiff springy twigs, and bundles of them made the original sweeping implement. The Plantagenet dynasty took its name from the same shrub — *planta genista*, the Latin name — which a count is said to have worn in his hat.
- A sweeping brush. *A stiff broom.*
- A yellow-flowered shrub. *Broom on the hillside.*
- Broomstick — the handle. *A witch's broomstick.*
- New broom — a new person making changes. *A new broom sweeps clean.*
- Besom — an older word for a twig broom. *A birch besom.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | broom | A yard broom. |
| Plural | brooms | Two brooms. |
| Compound | broomstick | A broomstick. |
| Related | besom | A traditional besom. |
| Latin | planta genista | The shrub. |
- Sweep the yard with the stiff broom.The tool.
- Broom flowers gold on the heath in May.The plant.
- A new broom sweeps clean.Proverb about new managers.
Tools named after plants
- Broom — from the shrub used to make it
- Besom — a twig broom, usually birch
- Rush light — a candle made from a rush dipped in fat
- Cane — the plant and the walking stick
- Withy — a willow shoot, used for binding
Old English *brom*, the shrub, from a Germanic root. The sweeping tool took the name in Middle English, replacing *besom* in most uses.
Are the Plantagenets named after broom?
The name is traditionally explained as planta genista, the Latin for the broom shrub, said to be worn as a badge by Geoffrey of Anjou.
What is a besom?
A broom made from a bundle of twigs, usually birch, tied to a handle. It is the older English word.