Brogue

Pronunciation

• enPR: brōg, IPA: /brəʊɡ/
• Rhymes: -əʊɡ

From Irish bróg ("boot, shoe"). The "accent" sense may instead be derived from Old Irish barrog ("a hold (on the tongue)").

Full definition of brogue

Noun

1. A strong dialectal accent. In Ireland it used to be a term for Irish spoken with a strong English accent, but gradually changed to mean English spoken with a strong Irish accent as English control of Ireland gradually increased and Irish waned as the standard language.
• 1978, Louis L'Amour, Fair Blows the Wind, Bantam Books, page 62:I had no doubt he knew where I was from, for I had the brogue, although not much of it.
• 2010, Clare Vanderpool, , Random House, page 187:“No-man's-land.” The words were spoken in a deep voice filled with salt water and brogue.
2. A strong Oxford shoe, with ornamental perforations and wing tips.
3. (dated) A heavy shoe of untanned leather.

Synonyms

• (dated heavy shoe) brogan

Derived terms

• brogued
• brogueing
• broguery
• broguish

Verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) To speak with a brogue (accent).
2. (intransitive) To walk.
3. (transitive) To kick.
4. (transitive) To punch a hole in, as with an awl.

Possibly from French brouiller

Verb

1. (dialect) to fish for eels by disturbing the waters