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Glite Dictionary
witch's broomstick

witch's broomstick

1 9.1
A broom that witches in stories ride to fly through the air
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪtʃɪz ˈbrumˌstɪk/
  • Literature
translation icon : escoba de bruja
  • In many stories, a broomstick serves as a means for witches to travel quickly.

Examples

  • The witch's broomstick!

    Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

  • The witch flew gracefully through the night sky on her broomstick.

  • The children dressed up as witches and pretended to ride their broomsticks.

Synonyms

broom
vswitch's broomstick
88 1.0

A tool with a long handle and a bundle of twigs used for sweeping floors

is the magical flying object rather than the normal household sweeping tool
broomstick
vswitch's broomstick
  • Literature
11 2.0

A long stick with a brush at one end used for sweeping and for flying in stories about witches

is the folklore flying version rather than the ordinary cleaning implement
besom
vswitch's broomstick
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A broom made of small sticks tied to a long handle

is the legendary flying object rather than a simple twig-on-stick cleaning tool

Surface Forms

witch's broomstick singular
witch's broomsticks plural

Morphology

witch's + broomstick

The meaning 'a broom ridden by witches' is directly and compositionally derived from 'witch's' (possessive of witch) + 'broomstick' (a broom handle). The possessive construction and the common folkloric image of witches on broomsticks make the sense immediately clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Witch's broomstick comes from old stories where people pictured a witch riding a broomstick across the night sky. That's why the phrase refers to 'a broom, said to be ridden by witches'.