Is Besom a Broom?

A besom /ˈbiːzəm/ is a broom, a household implement used for sweeping. The term is now mostly reserved for a traditional broom constructed from a bundle of twigs tied to a stout pole. The twigs used could be broom (i.e. Genista, from which comes the modern name "broom" for the tool), heather or similar.

What is the meaning of a witch broom?

Definition of witches'-broom

: an abnormal tufted growth of small branches on a tree or shrub caused especially by parasitic organisms (such as fungi, viruses, or aphids)

What drug is broom?

History. In early North American traditional medicine, a fluid extract of broom was used as a cathartic and diuretic. Large doses of the extract were used as an emetic. Sparteine, an alkaloid found in broom, was once used as a labor inducer and antiarrhythmic, but it has now been abandoned for safer compounds.