Roast
/roʊst/noun
To cook food with dry heat, usually in an oven or over a fire; also, to criticize someone sharply.
Did you know?Its deepest root is tied to the idea of burning or scorching, which is why the word naturally spread from cooking meat to “roasting” someone with words.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reu̯s-
“to roast, burn, or scorch”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*raustijaną
“to roast, cook by dry heat”
Old English
OE
rōstian
“to roast, broil”
Middle English
ME
rosten
“to roast meat over fire”
Modern English
English
roast
“to cook with dry heat; to criticize sharply”