Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To cook by direct radiant heat, as over a grill or under an electric element.
  • intransitive verb To expose to great heat.
  • intransitive verb To be exposed to great heat.
  • noun The act of broiling or the condition of being broiled.
  • noun Food, especially meat, that is broiled.
  • noun A rowdy argument.
  • intransitive verb To engage in a rowdy argument.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To raise a broil; quarrel; brawl.
  • noun An angry tumult; a noisy quarrel; contention; discord.
  • noun Synonyms Affray, Altercation, etc. See quarrel, n.
  • noun In mining, a collection of loose fragments, usually discolored by oxidation, resting on the surface, and indicating the presence of a mineral vein beneath. See outcrop and gossan.
  • To cook by the direct action of heat over or in front of a clear fire, generally upon a gridiron, as meat or fish.
  • To be subjected to the action of heat, as meat over a fire.
  • Figuratively, to be greatly heated; be heated to the point of great discomfort.
  • To fret; stew; be very impatient.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To be subjected to the action of heat, as meat over the fire; to be greatly heated, or to be made uncomfortable with heat.
  • transitive verb To cook by direct exposure to heat over a fire, esp. upon a gridiron over coals.
  • transitive verb To subject to great (commonly direct) heat.
  • noun A tumult; a noisy quarrel; a disturbance; a brawl; contention; discord, either between individuals or in the state.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To cook by direct, radiant heat.
  • verb transitive To expose to great heat.
  • verb intransitive To be exposed to great heat.
  • noun Food prepared by broiling.
  • verb transitive to cause a rowdy disturbance; embroil
  • verb intransitive (obsolete) to brawl
  • noun archaic A brawl; a rowdy disturbance.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb be very hot, due to hot weather or exposure to the sun
  • verb heat by a natural force
  • noun cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat (as over a fire or under a grill)
  • verb cook under a broiler

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English broilen, from Old French brusler, bruler, perhaps from usler, to burn (with br- from bruir, to burn), from Latin ustulāre, to scorch, from ustus, past participle of ūrere, to burn.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From obsolete broil, to brawl, from Middle English broilen, from Anglo-Norman broiller, to mix up, confuse, from Old French brouiller, from breu, broth, brew, from Vulgar Latin *brodum, of Germanic origin; see bhreu- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

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 *bruþan (“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.

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Examples

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  • "SICINIUS: Stop,

    Or all will fall in broil."

    - William Shakespeare, 'The Tragedy of Coriolanus'.

    August 28, 2009

  • bad in nature.....

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    January 15, 2012