Did you know?
Did you expect brogue to be defined as "an Irish accent"? We're sure you're not alone: brogue has two homographs (words that are spelled—and, in this case, pronounced—the same but have different origins or parts of speech). The brogue that refers to the shoe comes from the Irish word bróg and Scottish Gaelic bròg, and likely traces back to an Old Norse term meaning "leg covering." (That ancestor is related to an ancestor of the English word breech.) Originating in Ireland, the brogue was designed to be a worker's shoe and was made from untanned hides. The "accent" brogue comes from a different Irish word, barróg, which can refer to an accent or speech impediment and translates literally as "tight grip."
Examples of brogue in a Sentence
Mikelle Street, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Billie Eilish embraced a preppy Miu Miu look grounded by a pair of brogues to attend the 2025 Innovator Awards in New York City on Wednesday, where the singer-songwriter was honored with the Music Innovator Award.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
Khaite’s Crosby top-handle, which teams perfectly with The Row’s brogues.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
Fleming describes Bond as being over 6 foot tall, even taller in his best Jermyn Street brogues.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brogue
Cite this Entry
“Brogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brogue. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brogue
2 of 2 nounNoun
from Irish bróg and Scottish Gaelic bròg "stout shoe," derived from an early Norse word meaning "leg covering"
Noun
Irish barróg "accent, speech impediment," literally, "wrestling grip, tight hold"
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