broch

English - English

Definition of broch in English English dictionary

An Iron Age Scottish stone tower with hollow double-skinned walls

Drystone freestanding tower with interior court, no external windows (which face into the court), spiral stair inside wall, typically iron age Celtic refuge in Scotland

A circular dry-stone tower, found exclusively in Scotland and dating from the Iron Age Probably used as a refuge Typically they had one, small, easily blocked and defended entrance leading to a circular "courtyard" within The walls were double skinned, providing small rooms and storage areas between the inner and outer walls Steps were also built in the gap between the walls providing access to upper wooden platforms They were not standard living quarters, people would take refuge in the broch when a raiding party was sighted, possibly taking some of their valuable live stock with them

{i} mistake, disaster, error, failure (slang)

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Hermann Broch

born Nov. 1, 1886, Vienna died May 30, 1951, New Haven, Conn., U.S. German writer. A student of physics, mathematics, and philosophy, Broch published his first major work, The Sleepwalkers (1931-32), when he was in his 40s. A trilogy tracing the disintegration of European society between 1888 and 1918, it exemplifies his innovative multidimensional novels in its use of many different narrative forms to present a wide range of experiences. His other novels include The Death of Virgil (1945), which presents the last 18 hours of Virgil's life, and The Spell (1953), a portrayal of a Hitlerian stranger's domination of a village. He also wrote essays, letters, and reviews