The AI-powered English dictionary
plural brogues
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. quotations examples
I had no doubt he knew where I was from, for I had the brogue, although not much of it.
1978, Louis L'Amour, Fair Blows the Wind, Bantam Books, page 62
“No-man's-land.” The words were spoken in a deep voice filled with salt water and brogue.
2010, Clare Vanderpool, Moon Over Manifest, Random House, page 187
his brooding good looks and distinct Scottish brogue won him legions of fans worldwide.
2020 November 1, Alan Young, “Sean Connery obituary: From delivering milk in Fountainbridge to the definitive James Bond”, in The Scotsman
A strong Oxford shoe, with ornamental perforations and wing tips. quotations examples
He had one pair of brogues and the soles were in a miserable state.
2016, Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad, Fleet (2017), page 161
(dated) A heavy shoe of untanned leather. examples
third-person singular simple present brogues, present participle broguing, simple past and past participle brogued
(transitive, intransitive) To speak with a brogue (accent). examples
(intransitive) To walk. examples
(transitive) To kick. examples
(transitive) To punch a hole in, as with an awl. examples
(dialect) to fish for eels by disturbing the waters. examples