Definition
n. a piece of jewelry with a pin on the back. You wear it on your clothes, like a jacket or a dress, to look nice or to hold a scarf in place.
n. an ornamental piece of jewellery designed to be attached to a garment by a pin or clasp. Often used as a decorative accessory or to fasten clothing items like shawls.
Examples
“She wore a silver brooch on her coat.”
“The antique brooch was passed down through three generations and is now worn only on special occasions.”
“The curator carefully displayed the Victorian brooch, noting how the intricate gold filigree and small pearls reflected the craftsmanship of the mid-nineteenth century.”
Examples
simple
“She wore a silver brooch on her coat.”
contextual
“The antique brooch was passed down through three generations and is now worn only on special occasions.”
complex
“The curator carefully displayed the Victorian brooch, noting how the intricate gold filigree and small pearls reflected the craftsmanship of the mid-nineteenth century.”
Usage
Commonly worn on the lapel of a jacket or the shoulder of a dress.
Real-World Examples
“The futon had the effect of a brooch next to a missing button on a white dress shirt: it only drew attention to the problem.” Etymology
Variant of broach.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/brooch
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR