Today's Etymology: "Besom" -- 1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iii. ix. 160 With steel-besom, Rascality is brushed back into its dim depths.

1837   T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iii. ix. 160   "With steel-besom, Rascality is brushed back into its dim depths."

besom, n.

Pronunciation:  /biːzəm/

Forms:  OE–ME besma, OE besema, ME besem, ME besme, ME beesme, bisme, ME besum, ME besumme, ... 

Etymology:  Common West Germanic: Old English besema, besma (= Old Frisian besma, Old High German besamo, Middle High German besme, besem, modern German besen, Dutch bezem) < Germanic *besmon- (not found in East Germanic). Ulterior derivation obscure.

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†1. A bundle of rods or twigs used as an instrument of punishment; a birch. Obs. (Latin fascis.)

c893   tr. Orosius Hist. ii. iii. §2   He‥hy‥het gebindan, and‥mid besman swingan.

a1225   St. Marher. 5   [He] strupeth hire steorcnaket‥ant beateth hire bare bodi with bittere besmen.

a1225   Juliana 16   Þu schalt beon ibeaten mid besmes.

 2. An implement for sweeping, usually made of a bunch of broom, heather, birch, or other twigs bound together round a handle; a broom. (Dialectally, as in Scotland, the generic name for sweeping implements of any material, e.g. a heather, birch, or broom besom, a hair besom; but in literary English ‘broom’ is now generic, and ‘besom’ specific.)

 

 

c1000   West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xii. 44   He gemet hyt æmtig, and geclænsod mid besmum [v.r. besemum].

c1200   Trin. Coll. Hom. 87   Mid beseme clene swopen.

1382   Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Matt. xii. 44   Clensid with bismes [a1425 besyms].

1398   J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) xvii. clix. 708   Of the bowes and braunches of the byrche ben besomes made.

c1440   Promp. Parv. 33   Besme or besowme [1499 besym], scopa.

1493   in J. Nichols Illustr. Antient Times Eng. (1797) 185   A bessume of pekoks fethers.

1552   R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum,   Beasome, Loke in browme.

1580   J. Lyly Euphues & his Eng. (new ed.) f. 44,   There is no more difference betweene them, then betweene a Broome and a Besome.

a1642   H. Best Farming & Memorandum Bks. (1984) 109   Wee make the Miller take a beesome and sweepe a place.

1697   J. Potter Archæologiæ Græcæ I. ii. iii. 186   He swept the Temple with a beasom of Lawrel.

1756   C. Lucas Ess. Waters iii. 51   The‥bath is scrubbed all over with a birchen beesom.

1857   H. G. Bohn Handbk. Prov.,   There is little for the rake after the besom.

 

 3. fig. Any agent that cleanses, purifies, or sweeps away things material or immaterial.

 

 4. fig. Anything resembling a besom in shape; spec. applied to a comet.

1566   J. Knox Hist. Reformation in Wks. (1846) I. 254   A comet‥called ‘The fyrie boosome.’

a1639   J. Spottiswood Hist. Church Scotl. (1677) ii. 94   A Comet of that kind which‥the vulgars [call] a firie Bissome.

 

 5. Applied dialectally to heath and broom, plants used for besoms. (Cf. broom n., in its two senses.)

1796   W. Marshall Rural Econ. W. Eng. II. 324   Beesom or bizzom (Spartium Scoparium), the Broom plant.

1864   E. Capern Devon Provincialism,   Bizzim, Heath.

1878   J. Britten & R. Holland Dict. Eng. Plant-names 26   Basam, Basom, Bassam or Bisom, Sarothamnus scoparius.

 

 6. A contemptuous or jocular designation for a woman. Sc. and dial. (Pronounced /ˈbɪzəm/ ; also /ˈbʌzəm/ ).

1808–1929   in Sc. National Dict.  

1816   Scott Old Mortality viii, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. II. 206   To set up to be sae muckle better than ither folk, the auld besom.

1930   J. Buchan Castle Gay xvi. 255   She's a determined besom.

1936   W. Holtby South Riding v. i. 276   Gosh! The little besom!