Forms: 5–7 broyl, bruill, brooyl, 6–7 broile, broyle, 8 (Sc.) brulyie, 6– broil. [a. F. brouille-r ‘to jumble, trouble, disorder, confound, marre by mingling together’ (Cotgr.), corresp. to It. brogliare to stir, disorder, embroil; cf. the It. sb. broglio ‘hurlie burlie, confusion, mingle mangle,’ etc. (Florio). Ulterior derivation uncertain: see Diez, Littré, Scheler.
Littré (like Diez) thinks the F. vb. identical with Pr. bruelhar, brolhar, Cat. brollar ‘to bud, rise up,’ and connected with OF. bruill, broel, broil, mod.Fr. breuil, ‘an enclosed piece of brushwood, matted underwood, or cut bushes for animals,’ found in lateL. in the Capit. de Villis (lucos nostros quos vulgus brugilos vocat), med.L. broilus, brolius, which is referred to the OCeltic brog-, brogi- territory, district (Thurneysen). But most etymologists doubt the connection of brouiller with this.]
† 1. trans. To mix or mingle confusedly. Obs.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 61. Thou broylist up many lesynges, ffor grounde of thin ordre.
1631. Heywood, Engl. Eliz. (1641), 187. The abundance of bloud already spilt and broiled in the land.
† 2. To involve in confusion or disorder; to agitate, discompose (a person); to ‘set by the ears,’ embroil. Obs.
1513. More, Rich. III. (1641), 405. He was sore moved and broyled with Melancolie and dolour.
1549. Cheke, Hurt Sedit. (1641), 16. Who … intende to broyle the Commonwealth with the flame of their treason [with an allusion to BROIL v.1].
1585. Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 21. To translate it well and best, where I haue bothe euill, and worst broyled it.
1642. Bp. Durham, Presentm. Schismatic, 4. Contentious ones … broyling the world in this manner.
3. intr. To be or to engage in a broil; to contend in a confused struggle, irregular fight or strife.
c. 1567. Turberville, After Misadv. Good Haps (R.). The barck that broylde in rough and churlish sease.
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, 81. Couragious John of Gaunt Like Priams sonne strong broyling mid his foes.
1883. Pall Mall Gaz., 15 Oct., 4/1. He was always broiling with his chiefs, constantly in debt.
4. trans. To put into a broil, to embroil.
1857. Heavysege, Saul (1869), 243. I shall not hurry him, nor broil myself.
