"broadside" definition, meaning, and origin

Adverb

Sideways; with the side turned to the direction of some object.
- [...] the slight fluctuations [in speed] were due to a strong side-wind, which caught the train broadside along exposed stretches of the line. - 1964 June, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in...
- 1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure They were going some 60-80 mph [on a motorcycle] down a 30 mph street, hit a car broadside & Pat...

From broad + side.

One side of a ship above the waterline.
All the guns on one side of a warship.
The simultaneous firing of these guns.
- Broadside! What fools to face our guns! - 2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Rtas 'Vadum (Robert Davi), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: The Ark:
A forceful attack, whether written or spoken.
- Although slaveholders managed - through a combination of political compromise and ideological broadside - to contain the threat of a major anti-slavery compaign by fellow Southerners, planters could never be totally...
- Fernández's diplomatic broadside follows the British government's decision last month to name a large frozen chunk of Antarctica after the Queen – a gesture viewed in Buenos Aires as provocative. - 2013 January 3, Luke...
- He delivered a broadside to the RMT leadership, saying: "This response to a significantly enhanced offer exposes their true priority - using the British public and NR workers as pawns in a fight with the Government. -...
A large sheet of paper, printed on one side and folded.
The printed lyrics of a folk song or ballad; a broadsheet.