broil

¹ American  

[broil] / brɔɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to cook by direct heat, as on a gridiron over the heat or in an oven under the heat; grill.

   to broil a steak.

2. to scorch; make very hot.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be subjected to great heat; become broiled.

2. to burn with impatience, annoyance, etc.

noun

1. the act or state of broiling; state of being broiled.

2. something broiled, especially meat.

   She ordered a beef broil and salad.

broil ² American  

[broil] / brɔɪl /

noun

1. an angry quarrel or struggle; disturbance; tumult.

   a violent broil over who was at fault.

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verb (used without object)

1. to quarrel; brawl.

broil ¹ British  

/ brɔɪl /

verb

1. Usual equivalent (in Britain and other countries): grill.  to cook (meat, fish, etc) by direct heat, as under a grill or over a hot fire, or (of meat, fish, etc) to be cooked in this way

2. to become or cause to become extremely hot

3. (intr) to be furious

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noun

1. the process of broiling

2. something broiled

broil ² British  

/ brɔɪl /

noun

1. a loud quarrel or disturbance; brawl

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verb

1. (intr) to brawl; quarrel

Other Word Forms

• broilingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of broil¹

1300–50; Middle English brulen, brolyn, broillen < Anglo-French bruill ( i ) er, broil ( l ) er, Old French brusler, brul ( l ) er to burn ( French brûler ), a conflation of the verbs represented by Old French bruir to burn (< Frankish *brōjan; compare Middle High German brü ( ej ) en, German brühen to scald) and usler < Latin ustulāre to scorch

Origin of broil²

1400–50; late Middle English broylen to present in disorder, quarrel < Anglo-French, Old French broiller to jumble together < Gallo-Romance *brodiculāre, equivalent to *brod- (< Germanic; see broth, brewis) + Late Latin -iculāre v. suffix

Explanation

To broil is to cook something with direct exposure to fire. Broiling is similar to grilling, but you can also oven broil your steak if it's raining out. Have you ever had a cookout? If so, someone was probably heating up hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. This is a type of broiling. Broiling involves direct exposure to a flame. You can broil with a grill, a campfire, and with many types of stoves. You can also say that cooking by broiling is a broil (the noun). People like to get a broil going, especially in the summer.

Example Sentences

He taught me how to do London Broil and chicken cordon bleu.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2023

Broil the steak until the center of the thickest piece reaches 125°F for medium-rare or 130°F for medium, 3 to 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

From Washington Times • Aug. 3, 2023

I'm going to place Beef Wellington and London Broil together because, well, what the hell is a Beef Wellington and London Broil?

From Salon • May 30, 2023

Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheet from front to back halfway through, until the eggplant is soft and lightly browned in spots.

From Washington Post • May 25, 2022

Broil the chops over or under hot coals, turning the broiler as often as you count ten slowly, using the same method as in broiling steak.

From The Century Cook Book by Ronald, Mary

Related Words

• roast
• sear