Definition

1. Verb:

   • To cook (food, especially meat) by exposing it to dry heat, typically in an oven or over a fire. This is the most common meaning.
   • To criticize or make fun of someone severely or humorously, often in a public setting. This is an informal usage.
   • To make something, or someone, very hot or warm.

2. Noun:

   • A piece of meat that has been or is intended to be cooked by roasting. It is often a large cut for multiple servings.
   • An event where someone is subjected to humorous criticism and jokes, often as a tribute. This is an informal usage.
   • The process or act of roasting something.

3. Adjective:

   • Describing food, especially meat, that has been cooked by roasting.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to cook):
  • She will roast the chicken with herbs and lemon.
  • We roasted chestnuts over the open fire.
• Verb (to criticize humorously):
  • The comedians roasted the politician's latest speech.
  • At the retirement party, his colleagues lovingly roasted him.
• Noun (piece of meat):
  • We bought a large roast of beef for the holiday dinner.
  • The pork roast needs to cook for several hours.
• Noun (humorous criticism event):
  • The celebrity attended a comedy roast in his honor.
• Adjective:
  • We served roast beef and vegetables.
  • He made a sandwich with roast turkey.

Advanced Usage

• "To roast someone" (informal): To defeat or outperform someone decisively, often in a competitive context like gaming or sports.
  • Our team got absolutely roasted in the final match.
• "To be roasting" (informal): To feel very hot.
  • I'm roasting in this thick sweater; I need to take it off.

Variants and Related Words

• Roaster (noun): A pan or appliance for roasting food; a chicken or other animal suitable for roasting.
• Roasting (noun/adjective): The process of cooking by roasting; (informal) severe criticism. As an adjective, it can describe very hot weather.
  • The roasting took three hours. (noun)
  • We faced a roasting from the critics. (noun, informal)
  • It's a roasting hot day. (adjective, informal)

Synonyms

• Bake (verb, for cooking, but often used for bread, cakes, or items without initial browning).
• Broil (verb, US English for cooking with direct heat from above).
• Grill (verb, for cooking over direct heat).
• Tease or Ridicule (verb, for the critical meaning).
• Joint or Cut (noun, for the meat meaning).

Related Phrasal Verbs/Idioms

• "To rule the roast" (idiom, archaic): To be in charge; to be the dominant person. (Modern equivalent: "to rule the roost").
• There are no common phrasal verbs specifically formed with "roast." The verb is typically used transitively (roast something/someone).

Adjective

1. (meat) cooked by dry heat in an oven

Noun

1. negative criticism
2. a piece of meat roasted or for roasting and of a size for slicing into more than one portion

Verb

1. subject to laughter or ridicule
   • The satirists ridiculed the plans for a new opera house
   • The students poked fun at the inexperienced teacher
   • His former students roasted the professor at his 60th birthday
2. cook with dry heat, usually in an oven
   • roast the turkey