Broo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scots term for a thin, savoury broth or soup made by simmering meat or vegetables in water
2. In Scottish dialect, a warm liquid soup prepared by boiling meat, grain or vegetables together
3. The Scots name for a light, watery soup, often made from stock with oatmeal or greens added

Etymology: Broo is a Scots word for a thin broth, and its roots are older than most readers would expect. It is a form of "brewis," which comes from Old French "brouet," a diminutive of "brou," meaning broth or the liquid from boiled meat. Anglo-Norman and Middle English speakers borrowed the French term, and it spread through northern England and Scotland, where it survived in dialect long after it faded from standard use further south. The word's sense has held steady through centuries: it has always named a simple, watery liquid, usually made by boiling meat or oats in water. Scottish cooks and dialect writers used "brose" and "brue" as variant spellings, and "brewis" in the north of England came to mean a dish of bread soaked in broth or fat. Some of these spellings are closely related forms in the same family, and the sense of "broth" links them all.