Emily Dickinson Lexicon

ROAST, v.t. [W. rhostiaw; Ir. rostam; Arm. rosta; Fr. rôtir; It. arrostire; D. roosten; G. rösten; Sw. rosta; Dan. rister, to roast, and rist, a gridiron, G. rost. If the verb is from the noun, the sense is to dress or cook on a gridiron or grate, and rist, rost, coincide in elements with L. rastellum, a rake. If the verb is the root, the sense probably is to contract or crisp, or to throw or agitate, hence to make rough. The Welsh has also crasu, to roast, from crâs. This coincides with crisp.]

1. To cook, dress, or prepare meat for the table by exposing it to heat, as on a spit, in a bake-pan, in an oven or the like. We now say, to roast meat on a spit, in a pan, or in a tin oven, &c.; to bake meat in an oven; to broil meat on a gridiron.
2. To prepare for food by exposure to heat; as, to roast apples or potatoes; to roast eggs.
3. To heat to excess; to heat violently. Roasted in wrath and fire. – Shak.
4. To dry and parch by exposure to heat; as, to roast coffee.
5. In metallurgy, to dissipate the volatile parts of ore by heat.
6. In common discourse, to jeer; to banter severely. – Scott.