Broil
/brɔɪl/noun
To cook food by direct heat, or to become extremely heated or agitated.
Did you know?Broil entered English through Old French and was closely tied to the idea of boiling or making something rage with heat, which is why it still carries both cooking and conflict energy today.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhreu-
“to boil, bubble, seethe”
Late Latin
Latin
brusciare / brodium (influenced forms)
“to heat, brew, or boil”
Old French
OF
broillir
“to broil, roast, scorch”
Middle English
ME
broilen
“to roast over fire; to scorch”
Modern English
English
broil
“to cook by direct heat; to become very hot or agitated”