Sc. Also 6 brissle, brissil, byrsle, 7 north. dial. brusle. [Derivation and etymological form uncertain: the mod. Sc. is birsle, but 16th-c. Eng. had brissill, and 17th c. north. dial. brusle.]
trans. To scorch (the surface) with radiant heat; to toast hard; also fig. Hence Birsled ppl. a.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. xiii. 36. Feill echirris of corn thik growing, Wyth the new sonnys heit byrsyllit. Ibid., VII. ix. 109. Blunt styngis of the byrsillit [1553 brissillit] tre.
1691. Ray, North Co. Wds., Brusle, to dry; as ‘the sun brusles the hay’; and ‘brusled pease,’ parch’d pease.
1716. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), II. 137. He was sorry he got not the old dog’s bones to birsle in the flames.
1818. Miss Ferrier, Marriage, II. 132. Than ye maun sit an’ birsle yoursels afore the fire at hame.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xvi. (1859), 409. I trained best on birsled peas and whiskey.
