Broacher

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who first introduces a delicate or controversial topic into conversation ; a tapered tool used to open a cask or widen a hole
2. Someone who opens up a difficult subject for the first time ; an implement for piercing a barrel or reaming a bore
3. One who initiates talk on a sensitive matter ; a pointed instrument employed to tap a keg or to enlarge a drilled opening

Etymology: Broacher is one of those words whose parts tell the whole story: it is "broach" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names something that broaches. The base verb "broach" comes from the Old French "broche," meaning a spit or pointed pin, and the original sense of the verb was literal: to pierce a cask so its liquid could run out. A broacher, in that concrete sense, is whatever does the piercing, such as the tool or person who taps a barrel. From that physical act the word gained its figurative senses. To broach a subject is to open it for discussion, and a broacher is someone who raises a topic or first introduces an idea into conversation or into a plan. The image is still the same one: something sealed is pierced so that what was held inside can finally flow out.