broach1

 
Pronunciation: /brəʊtʃ/

verb

[with object]
  • 1raise (a difficult subject) for discussion: he broached the subject he had been avoiding all evening
  • 2pierce (a cask) to draw out liquid: he watched a pot boy broach a new cask
  • open and start using the contents of (a bottle or other container): boxed wines will remain in good condition for up to four months once broached
  • 3 [no object] (of a fish or sea mammal) rise through the water and break the surface: the salmon broach, then fall to slap the water

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French brochier, based on Latin brocchus, broccus 'projecting'. The earliest recorded sense was 'prick with spurs', generally 'pierce', which gave rise (late Middle English) to broach1 (sense 2). broach1 (sense 1), a figurative use of this, dates from the late 16th century