A broom made of twigs tied together, traditionally used for sweeping; a woman considered slovenly or immoral (offensive archaic insult).
Old English 'besma,' related to Proto-Germanic roots. The word may be connected to 'bass' (the plant used for binding). The broom meaning is straightforward; the insulting meaning developed later in British slang.
The insult 'a besom' was applied specifically to women, showing how household items became gendered insults—'slattern,' 'shrew,' and others reveal how tools of women's domestic work became words for moral judgement, a pattern throughout many languages.
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