The word 扫帚星 is formed by combining 扫 (to sweep), 帚 (broom), and 星 (star), where 扫帚 together means "broom", and adding 星 results in the literal meaning "broom star". This directly refers to a comet, as its appearance resembles a star with a tail that sweeps across the sky, and it can also metaphorically describe a person considered to bring bad luck.