broad in the beam
The term "broad in the beam" is used both in nautical contexts to describe the width of a ship and idiomatically to describe a person's body shape.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Nautical
(technical)Describing a ship that is wide across the middle of its hull.
Example
- The ship is broad in the beam, making it more stable in rough waters.
B2Body Description
(informal, humorous, potentially impolite)Describing a person, especially a woman, with wide hips and a large bottom.
Example
- She was affectionately described as broad in the beam.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "broad in the beam":
broad shouldersbroad strokesbroad reachgo widewide berthcut a wide swath