Broad

Broad (?), a. [Compar. Broader (?); superl. Broadest.] [OE. brod, brad, AS. brād; akin to OS. brēd, D. breed, G. breit, Icel. brei?r, Sw. & Dan. bred, Goth. braids. Cf. Breadth.] 1. Wide; extend in breadth, or from side to side; -- opposed to narrow; as, a broad street, a broad table; an inch broad.

2. Extending far and wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean.

3. Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full. "Broad and open day." Bp. Porteus.

4. Fig.: Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained; -- applied to any subject, and retaining the literal idea more or less clearly, the precise meaning depending largely on the substantive.

A broad mixture of falsehood.
Locke.

Hence: -

5. Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged.

The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case.
D. Daggett.

In a broad, statesmanlike, and masterly way.
E. Everett.

6. Plain; evident; as, a broad hint.

7. Free; unrestrained; unconfined.

As broad and general as the casing air.
Shak.

8. (Fine Arts) Characterized by breadth. See Breadth.

9. Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor.

10. Strongly marked; as, a broad Scotch accent.

☞ Broad is often used in compounds to signify wide, large, etc.; as, broad-chested, broad-shouldered, broad-spreading, broad-winged.

Broad acres. See under Acre. -- Broad arrow, originally a pheon. See Pheon, and Broad arrow under Arrow. -- As broad as long, having the length equal to the breadth; hence, the same one way as another; coming to the same result by different ways or processes.

It is as broad as long, whether they rise to others, or bring others down to them.
L'Estrange.

Broad pennant. See under Pennant.

Syn. -- Wide; large; ample; expanded; spacious; roomy; extensive; vast; comprehensive; liberal.

Broad, n. 1. The broad part of anything; as, the broad of an oar.

2. The spread of a river into a sheet of water; a flooded fen. [Local, Eng.] Southey.

3. A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders. Knight.