Search results for 'broad':

broad adj (broader, broadest) 1 large in extent from one side to the other • The sink is two foot broad. Opposite of deep. 2 wide and open; spacious. 3 general, not detailed • a broad inquiry. 4 clear; full • in broad daylight. 5 strong; obvious • a broad hint. 6 main; concentrating on the main elements rather than on detail • the broad facts of the case. 7 tolerant or liberal • take a broad view. 8 said of an accent or speech: strongly marked by local dialect or features • broad Scots. 9 usually said of a joke or anecdote, etc: rather rude and vulgar. 10 econ said of money: belonging to one of the less liquid (adj 5) categories, eg money deposited in an account, etc so that it cannot be realized into cash without several months' notice. See M². noun 1 N Amer, offensive slang a woman. 2 (the Broads) a series of low-lying shallow lakes connected by rivers in E Anglia. 3 the broad part of something. broadly adverb widely; generally • broadly speaking • I broadly agree. broadness noun. broad in the beam colloq said of a person: wide across the hips or buttocks.
ETYMOLOGY: Originally and literally used of a ship which is 'wide in proportion to its length' (see beam noun 4). have broad shoulders said of a person: to be able to accept a great deal of responsibility. it's as broad as it is long said of a situation or problem, etc: it makes no difference which way you look at it, approach it or deal with it, etc; the result will be the same either way.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon brad.

B-road noun in the UK: a secondary road. Compare A-road.