broil

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔɪl

Etymology 1

From Middle English broillen, brulen (“to broil, cook”), from Anglo-Norman bruiller, broiller (“to broil, roast”) and Old French brusler, bruller (“to broil, roast, char”), a blend of Old French bruir (“to burn”), of Germanic origin; and Old French usler (“to scorch”), from Latin ustulāre (“to scorch”).

Old French bruir (“to burn”) comes from Frankish *brōjan (“to burn, scald”), from Proto-Germanic *brewwaną (“to brew”), from Proto-Indo-European *bherw-, *bhrew- (“to boil, seethe”), and is cognate with Middle High German brüejen (“to singe, burn, scald”), Middle Dutch broeyen (“to scald, heat”). More at brew.

Verb

broil (third-person singular simple present broils, present participle broiling, simple past and past participle broiled)

1. (transitive) To cook by direct, radiant heat.
2. (transitive) To expose to great heat.
3. (intransitive) To be exposed to great heat.

Noun

broil (plural broils)

1. Food prepared by broiling.

Etymology 2

From Middle English broilen (“to quarrel, present in disorder”), from Anglo-Norman broiller (“to mix up”), from Vulgar Latin *brodiculāre (“to jumble together”) from *brodum (“broth, stew”), from Frankish *brod (“broth”), from Proto-Germanic *bruþą (“broth”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhreue-, *bherw-, *bhrew- (“to heat, boil, brew”). Cognate with Old High German brod (“broth”), Old English broþ (“broth”). More at broth.

Verb

broil (third-person singular simple present broils, present participle broiling, simple past and past participle broiled)

1. (transitive) to cause a rowdy disturbance; embroil
2. (intransitive) (obsolete) to brawl

Noun

broil (plural broils)

1. (archaic) A brawl; a rowdy disturbance.
   • 1819, John Keats, Otho the Great, Act I, verses 1-2

     So, I am safe emerged from these broils! / Amid the wreck of thousands I am whole

   • Burke

     I will own that there is a haughtiness and fierceness in human nature which will which will cause innumerable broils, place men in what situation you please.

Anagrams

• LIBOR