Roast
Pronunciation
- GenAm enPR: rÅst, IPA: /ɹoÊŠst/
- RP enPR: rÅst, IPA: /ɹəʊst/
- Rhymes: -əʊst
Origin
From Middle English rosten, from Old French rostir ("to roast") (Modern French: rôtir), from Frankish *rÅstjan ("to roast"), from Proto-Germanic *raustijanÄ… ("to roast"), from Proto-Indo-European *reus- ("to crackle, roast"). Cognate with Dutch roosteren ("to roast"), German rösten ("to roast").
Full definition of roast
Verb
- (transitive or intransitive or ergative) To cook food by heating in an oven or over a fire without covering, resulting in a crisp, possibly even slightly charred appearance.to roast meat on a spit
- To cook by surrounding with hot embers, ashes, sand, etc.to roast a potato in ashes
- Francis BaconIn eggs boiled and roasted there is scarce difference to be discerned.
- (transitive or intransitive or ergative) To process by drying through exposure to sun or artificial heatCoffee beans need roasting before use.to roast chestnuts or peanuts
- To heat to excess; to heat violently; to burn.
- Shakespeareroasted in wrath and fire
- (transitive, figuratively) To admonish someone vigorouslyI’m late home for the fourth time this week; my mate will really roast me this time.
- (transitive, figuratively) To subject to bantering, severely criticize, sometimes as a comedy routine.The class clown enjoys being roasted by mates as well as staff.
- (metalworking) To dissipate by heat the volatile parts of, as ores.
Derived terms
Noun
roast
(plural roasts)- A cut of meat suited to roasting
- A meal consisting of roast foods.
- The degree to which something, especially coffee, is roasted.Dark roast means that the coffee bean has been roasted to a higher temperature and for a longer period of time than in light roast.
- (Originally fraternal) A comical event where a person is subjected to verbal attack, yet may be praised by sarcasm and jokes.
Derived terms
Adjective
roast
- having been cooked by roasting
- (figuratively) subjected to roasting, bantered, severely criticized