Meaning

noun cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat (as over a fire or under a grill)

verb cook under a broiler

verb heat by a natural force

originFrom Middle English broylen, brulen (“to broil, cook”), from Anglo-Norman bruiller, broiller (“to broil, roast”), Old French brusler, bruller (“to broil, roast, char”), a blend of two Old French verbs: * bruir (“to burn”), from Frankish *brōjan (“to burn, scald”) * usler (“to scorch”), from Latin ustulō (“to scorch”)

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0