Wiktionary

broke

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Ablauted form of break.

Verb

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broke

  1. simple past of break
  2. (archaic, nonstandard or poetic) past participle of break
    • 1853, John Welsey, The Works of the Rev. John Wesley, Volume 7‎[1], page 261:
      Accordingly, he came with a mob the next day; and after they had broke all the windows...
    • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
      The horse was the grey stallion he aye rode, the very beast he had ridden for many a wager with the wild lads of the Cross Keys. No man but himself durst back it, and it had lamed many a hostler lad and broke two necks in its day.
    • 1999 October 3, J. Stewart Burns, "Mars University", Futurama, season 2, episode 2, Fox Broadcasting Company
      Guenther: I guess the hat must have broke my fall.

Adjective

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broke (not generally comparable, comparative broker or more broke, superlative brokest or most broke)

  1. (informal) Financially ruined, bankrupt.
    • 1665 July 6, Samuel Pepys, Vol. VI, p. 150:
      It seems some of his Creditors have taken notice of it, and he was like to be broke yesterday in his absence.
  2. (informal) Without any money, penniless.
    dead broke; flat broke
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:impoverished
  3. (archaic, now informal) Broken.
    If it ain’t broke, don't fix it.
    • 1822, William Wolryche Whitmore, A Letter on the Present State and Future Prospects of Agriculture‎[2], page 53:
      If the farmer is seriously injured by the depressed state of the markets, his spirit is broke, and there must ensue a very general discredit with regard to the farming business;
    • 1973, “Photograph”, in Ringo, performed by Ringo Starr:
      I can't get used to living here / While my heart is broke, my tears I cry for you
    • 1983, Chicago Transit Authority, CTA Transit News, volume 36, page 8:
      Watkins notified the shop foreman immediately, whereupon the car was inspected and found to have a broke axle.
    • 2011, Mike Major, Fran Devereux Smith, Ranch-Horse Versatility: A Winner's Guide to Successful Rides:
      A broke horse tries to do anything I want, and that is expected of any horse.
  4. (nautical) Demoted, deprived of a commission.
    He was broke and rendered unfit to serve His Majesty at sea.
Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • → German: broke
Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English broce, from Old English gebroc (“fragment”), from brecan (“to break”). Compare broken, past participle of break.[1] Compare also Scots brock (“a scrap of meat or bread”).[2]

Noun

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broke (plural brokes)

  1. (papermaking) Paper or board that is discarded and repulped during the manufacturing process.
    • 1880, James Dunbar, The Practical Papermaker: A Complete Guide to the Manufacture of Paper‎[3], page 12:
      If the broke accumulates, a larger proportion can be used in making coloured papers, otherwise the above quantity is sufiicient.
    • 1914, The World's Paper Trade Review Volume 62‎[4], page 204:
      Presumably, most of the brokes and waste were used up in this manner, and during the manufacture of the coarse stuff little or no attention was paid to either cleanliness or colour.
    • 2014 September 25, Judge Diane Wood, NCR Corp. v. George A. Whiting Paper Co.‎[5]:
      These mills purchase broke from other paper mills through middlemen and use it to make paper.
  2. (obsolete) A fragment, remains, a piece broken off.
    • 1855, January Searle, Poems, page 4:
      Why dost though linger, then, / To hear the flatteries of these men of rags? / These bankrupt beggar-men, / Whose riches are the broke meat in their bags?
References
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  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
  2. ^ “brock, n2.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

Etymology 3

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Back-formation from broker.

Verb

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broke (third-person singular simple present brokes, present participle broking, simple past and past participle broked)

  1. To act as a broker; to transact business for another; synonym of broker.
    Agents broking with various other carriers can offer additional options.
    • 1837, Comprising Reports of Cases in the Courts of Chancery […] :
      The only evidence of bill-broking is, that he has often been a party to bills of exchange
    • 1992, Philippe Moore, The 1992 guide to European equity markets:
      […] because the Spanish equity market was substantially over-broked even at the height of its bull market, with over 50 brokers servicing the market.
  2. (obsolete) To act as procurer in love matters; to pimp.
    • 1655 [1572], Luís de Camões, translated by Richard Fanshawe, The Lusiad, translation of original in Portuguese, Canto IX, stanza 44:
      But we do want a certain necessary / Woman, to broke between them CUPID said;
    • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
      And brokes with all that can in such a suit / Corrupt the tender honour of a maid.

Etymology 4

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Clipping of broke off.

Adjective

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broke (comparative more broke, superlative most broke)

  1. (slang) Broke off, rich, wealthy

Anagrams

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Albanian

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Noun

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broke f

  1. indefinite dative/ablative singular of brokë

German

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from English broke.

Adjective

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broke (strong nominative masculine singular broker, comparative broker, superlative am broksten)

  1. (youth slang, neologism) broke (without any money)
    Synonym: pleite
    • 2020 November 8, Schwesta Grimm, Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand, wer hat die meisten Follower im ganzen Land?: Die beliebtesten Märchen in derbe nicem Deutsch‎[6], Riva Verlag, →ISBN, →OCLC, Hänsel und Gretel, page 19:
      Es waren einmal ein Holzfäller und seine Frau, die zwar derbe am Hustlen waren, aber trotzdem so broke, dass jeder Hartzer dagegen der übelste Gönnjamin gewesen wäre. Die Frau wusste irgendwann nicht mehr weiter mit ihrem Life, und sie so: »Habibi, setz mal die Kinder im Wald aus, wir können die echt nicht auch noch mit durchfüttern.«
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

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Positive forms of broke
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist broke sie ist broke es ist broke sie sind broke
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative broker broke brokes broke
genitive broken broker broken broker
dative brokem broker brokem broken
accusative broken broke brokes broke
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der broke die broke das broke die broken
genitive des broken der broken des broken der broken
dative dem broken der broken dem broken den broken
accusative den broken die broke das broke die broken
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein broker eine broke ein brokes (keine) broken
genitive eines broken einer broken eines broken (keiner) broken
dative einem broken einer broken einem broken (keinen) broken
accusative einen broken eine broke ein brokes (keine) broken
Comparative forms of broke
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist broker sie ist broker es ist broker sie sind broker
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative brokerer brokere brokeres brokere
genitive brokeren brokerer brokeren brokerer
dative brokerem brokerer brokerem brokeren
accusative brokeren brokere brokeres brokere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der brokere die brokere das brokere die brokeren
genitive des brokeren der brokeren des brokeren der brokeren
dative dem brokeren der brokeren dem brokeren den brokeren
accusative den brokeren die brokere das brokere die brokeren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein brokerer eine brokere ein brokeres (keine) brokeren
genitive eines brokeren einer brokeren eines brokeren (keiner) brokeren
dative einem brokeren einer brokeren einem brokeren (keinen) brokeren
accusative einen brokeren eine brokere ein brokeres (keine) brokeren
Superlative forms of broke
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am broksten sie ist am broksten es ist am broksten sie sind am broksten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative brokster brokste brokstes brokste
genitive broksten brokster broksten brokster
dative brokstem brokster brokstem broksten
accusative broksten brokste brokstes brokste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der brokste die brokste das brokste die broksten
genitive des broksten der broksten des broksten der broksten
dative dem broksten der broksten dem broksten den broksten
accusative den broksten die brokste das brokste die broksten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein brokster eine brokste ein brokstes (keine) broksten
genitive eines broksten einer broksten eines broksten (keiner) broksten
dative einem broksten einer broksten einem broksten (keinen) broksten
accusative einen broksten eine brokste ein brokstes (keine) broksten

Further reading

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  • “broke” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
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