roast

Etymology

From Middle English rosten, a borrowing from Old French rostir (“to roast, to torture with fire”), from Frankish *rōstijan (“to roast, broil”), from Proto-Germanic *raustijaną (“to roast”), from Proto-Indo-European *rews- (“to crackle; roast”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian rosterje (“to roast”), Dutch roosten, roosteren (“to roast”), German rösten (“to roast”). Displaced native Old English brǣdan.

verb

1. (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
2. To cook by surrounding with hot embers, ashes, sand, etc.
   to roast a potato in ashes
3. (transitive or intransitive or ergative) To process by drying through exposure to sun or artificial heat.
   Coffee beans need roasting before use.
   to roast chestnuts or peanuts
4. To heat to excess; to heat violently; to burn.
5. (transitive, figurative) To admonish someone vigorously.
   I'm late home for the fourth time this week; my mate will really roast me this time.
6. (transitive, figurative) To subject to bantering, severely criticize, sometimes as a comedy routine.
   The class clown enjoys being roasted by mates as well as staff.
7. (metalworking) To dissipate the volatile parts of by heat, as ores.

noun

1. A cut of meat suited to roasting; meat that has been roasted.
   Serve the roast with gravy and mashed potatoes.
2. A meal consisting of roast foods.
   Come over this weekend for Sunday roast.
3. 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.
4. An instance of being severely admonished, criticized, roasted.
   “He ain’t no good!” With this she steps back to the table where Miss Montague has just tired of the Cuban, slips her arms about that seraph’s waist, and says: “Your Frank is in Washington and my Jasper has just given me a roast. Reckon we’ll both have to be bachelor girls to-night.” 1899, Archibald Clavering Gunter, M.S. Bradford, Special, page 58
5. A comical event, originally fraternal, where a person is subjected to verbal attack, yet may be praised by sarcasm and jokes.
6. (Canada, US) A social event at which food is roasted and eaten.
   On Memorial Day we hosted a wiener roast in the backyard.
7. (slang) A creative insult as a response to something someone said.

adj

1. Having been cooked by roasting.
2. (figurative) Subjected to roasting; bantered; severely criticized.