broom
v.— «The number of wolves in the refuge is increasing, and biologists are beginning to see browse that is “broomed,” a term used to describe willows that have been topped and are mushrooming, Aderman said.» —“Number of twins gives biologists best clue as to how moose in Alaska are doing” by Tim Mowry News-Miner (Fairbanks, Alaska) June 12, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Michelle in Thorne Bay, Alaska, wonders why a skittish person may be called a nervous Nellie. That term is associated with the nickname of politician Frank B. Kellogg, who was considered overly emotional and indecisive, but who also won the 1929...
It’s hard to remember how to spell the names of some cities. Tallahassee, Florida, for example. Then there are towns with very few letters to remember. Y, a tiny town in northern France, has only two main streets, which come together to form...
This is odd, because the word “pollarded” exists to describe willows that have been topped, thus producing a lot of new, thin, straight shoots, known as osiers or withies. Osiers are mostly used for basket making. A traditional broom, or besom, is usually made of birch twigs, not willow, though osier is often used to bind the twigs to the handle. Maybe the author misremembered something.