ame of a long-rayed star-fish (_Ophiocoma
rosula_).

BROACH A BUSINESS, TO. To begin it.

BROACH-TO, TO. To fly up into the wind. It generally happens when a ship
is carrying a press of canvas with the wind on the quarter, and a good
deal of after-sail set. The masts are endangered by the course being so
altered, as to bring it more in opposition to, and thereby increasing
the pressure of the wind. In extreme cases the sails are caught flat
aback, when the masts would be likely to give way, or the ship might go
down stern foremost.

BROAD ARROW. The royal mark for government stores of every description.
To obliterate, deface, or remove this mark is felony; or even to be in
possession of any goods so marked without sufficient grounds. It is no
doubt one of the Ditmarsh runes.

BROAD AXE. Formerly a warlike instrument; also for beheading; specially
applied to the axe of carpenters for mast-making, and sometimes cutting
away the masts or cable.

BROAD CLOTH. Square sails.

BROAD OF WATER. An extensive lake with a channel communicating with the
sea, or a wide opening of a river after passing a narrow entrance.

BROAD PENNANT. A swallow-tailed piece of buntin at the mast-head of a
man-of-war; the distinctive mark of a commodore. The term is frequently
used for the officer himself. It tapers, in contradistinction to a
cornet, which has only the triangle cut out of it.

BROAD R. _See_ BROAD ARROW.

BROADS. Fresh-water lakes, in contradistinction to rivers or narrow
waters.

BROADSIDE. The whole array, or the simultaneous discharge of the
artillery on one side of a ship of war above and below. It also implies
the whole of that side of a ship above the water which is situate
between the bow and quarter, and is in a position nearly perpendicular
to the horizon. Also, a name given to the old folio sheets whereon
ballads and proclamations were printed of old (broad-sheet).

BROADSIDE-ON. The whole side of a vessel; the opposite of _end-on_.

BROADSIDE WEIGHT OF METAL. The weight of iron which the guns of a ship
can project, when single-shotted, from one side. (_See_ WEIGHT OF
METAL.)

BROADSWORD. _See_ CUTLAS.

BROCAGE. The same with _brokerage_ (which see).

BROCLES. _See_ STRAKE-NAILS.

BRODIE. The fry of the rock-tangle, or Hettle-codling, a fish caught on
the Hettle Bank, in the Firth of Forth.

BROGGING. A north-country method of catching eels, by means of small
sticks called brogs.

BROGUES. Among sea