broadside

C2+ Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈbrɔdsaɪd/ UK /ˈbrɔːdsaɪd/ See IPA manual

noun adv verb

Meanings

1

noun
a simultaneous firing of all guns on one side of a ship; a strong verbal attack

The admiral ordered a broadside against the enemy frigate.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a simultaneous firing of... volley barrage salvo attack tirade onslaught

Word family

Related forms broad broadsheet

Etymology

A compound of broad + side, originally the whole side of a ship (and the simultaneous discharge of all its guns); the figurative 'fierce verbal attack' developed by extension.

brād Old English sīde Old English

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Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# broadside

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun, adv, verb
**IPA (US):** ˈbrɔdsaɪd
**IPA (UK):** ˈbrɔːdsaɪd

## Meanings
1. a simultaneous firing of all guns on one side of a ship; a strong verbal attack

## Examples
- The admiral ordered a broadside against the enemy frigate.

## Synonyms
- volley
- barrage
- salvo
- attack
- tirade
- onslaught

## Related Forms
- broad
- broadsheet

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: brād
- Root: sīde

## Etymology
A compound of broad + side, originally the whole side of a ship (and the simultaneous discharge of all its guns); the figurative 'fierce verbal attack' developed by extension.

## AI Etymology
Broadside is a compound of broad + side, originally the whole side of a ship (and the simultaneous discharge of all its guns); the figurative 'fierce verbal attack' developed by extension. The historical trail runs through brād in Old English and sīde in Old English. Morphologically, broadside is transparent: it is a compound of broad + side, originally the whole side of a ship (and the simultaneous discharge of all its guns). Used as a noun, adverb, and verb, broadside now means "a simultaneous firing of all guns on one side of a ship; a strong verbal attack", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as broad and broadsheet. The modern word remains analyzable through its parts, which makes the semantic connection unusually direct.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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broadside

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