brogue

UK: /ˈbrəʊg/ US: /broʊg/ ,(brōg; Scot. brōg)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

brogue¹ /broʊg/   n. [countable]

1. Linguistics an Irish accent in the pronunciation of English:
   O'Malley answered in that rich brogue of his.
2. Linguistics any strong regional accent.

brogue² /broʊg/   n. [countable]

1. Clothing a shoe, esp. a rough shoe of untanned leather formerly worn in Ireland and Scotland.
2. Clothing brogan.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

brogue¹  (brōg), n. 

1. Linguistics an Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.
2. Linguistics any strong regional accent.

• perh. special use of brogue² 1680–90

bro′guer•y, n. 

brogue²  (brōg), n. 

1. Clothing a durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.
2. Clothing a coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.
3. Clothing brogan.

• Gaulish; see breech
• Irish brōg shoe, Old Irish brōce; cognate with Latin. brācae trousers
• 1580–90

brogue³  (brōg), n. [Scot.]

1. Scottish Terms a fraud;
   trick;
   prank.

• of uncertain origin, originally 1530–40

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

brogue / brəʊɡ/ noun

1. a broad gentle-sounding dialectal accent, esp that used by the Irish in speaking English

Etymology: 18th Century: probably from brogue², alluding to the footwear of the peasantry

brogue / brəʊɡ/ noun

1. a sturdy walking shoe, often with ornamental perforations
2. an untanned shoe worn formerly in Ireland and Scotland

Etymology: 16th Century: from Irish Gaelic bróg boot, shoe, probably from Old Norse brōk leg covering