broadside

[brawd-sahyd] /ˈbrɔdˌsaɪd/
noun
1.
the whole side of a ship above the water line, from the bow to the quarter.
2.
Navy.
  1. all the guns that can be fired from one side of a warship.
  2. a simultaneous discharge of all the guns on one side of a warship.
3.
any strong or comprehensive attack, as by criticism.
4.
Also called broadsheet.
  1. a sheet of paper printed on one or both sides, as for distribution or posting.
  2. any printed advertising circular.
5.
any broad surface or side, as of a house.
6.
Also called broadside ballad. a song, chiefly in 16th- and 17th-century England, written on a topical subject, printed on broadsides, and sung in public, as on a street corner, by a professional balladeer.
adverb
7.
with the side, especially with the broader, side, facing toward a given point or object:
The truck hit the fence broadside.
8.
in a wide-ranging manner; at random:
to attack the president's policies broadside.
verb (used without object), broadsided, broadsiding.
9.
to proceed or go broadside.
10.
to fire a broadside or broadsides.
verb (used with object), broadsided, broadsiding.
11.
to collide with or run into the side of (a vehicle, object, person, etc.):
We got broadsided on the freeway.
12.
to make concerted verbal attacks on:
The president was broadsided by the opposition.
Origin
1565-75; broad + side1
Examples from the web for broadside
  • In an unexpected eddy, his boat spun broadside and flipped against a boulder, throwing him into the river.
  • His prose was wordy and ornate but also sharp-edged and funny, packing the punch of an old-style broadside.
  • Plus now you are clearly materially involving a creator in a physical process, opening yourself to every broadside from science.
  • Now they are out to deliver a full broadside on history.
  • But the real problem with his broadside is that it is too narrow.
  • The next morning, after receiving a broadside from the newspapers, the prime minister said sorry properly.
  • While the broadside format represents the bulk of the collection, there are a significant number of leaflets and some pamphlets.
  • The information on a broadside should include a mixture of written description and pictures.
  • As you read it, you might imagine what some other broadside publishers might say in response.
  • Scattered far-field generated by a broadside pulse hitting a rocket.
British Dictionary definitions for broadside

broadside

/ˈbrɔːdˌsaɪd/
noun
1.
(nautical) the entire side of a vessel, from stem to stern and from waterline to rail
2.
(navy)
  1. all the armament fired from one side of a warship
  2. the simultaneous discharge of such armament
3.
a strong or abusive verbal or written attack
4.
Also called broadside ballad. a ballad or popular song printed on one side of a sheet of paper and sold by hawkers, esp in 16th-century England
5.
any standard size of paper before cutting or folding: demy broadside
6.
another name for broadsheet (sense 1)
7.
a large flat surface: the broadside of the barn
adverb
8.
with a broader side facing an object; sideways: the train hit the lorry broadside
Word Origin and History for broadside
n.

1590s, "side of a ship" (technically, "the side of a ship above the water, between the bow and the quarter"), from broad (adj.) + side (n.); thus "the artillery on one side of a ship all fired off at once" (1590s, with figurative extensions). Two words until late 18c. Of things other than ships, 1630s. But oldest-recorded sense in English is "sheet of paper printed only on one side" (1570s).