Etymology: Origin unknown. Eng. Dial. Dict. at roil v.¹, sb.¹, and adj. gives examples of a noun roil used in Devon and Oxfordshire from the 18th and 19th centuries in the sense ‘A scold, an abusive person, esp. a woman’, but this seems likely to represent a distinct word related to roil v.³ rather than an instance of the present word.

Etymology: Probably < roil v.¹ or roil v.³ (see discussion at those entries). Compare earlier rial n.²With the form rile in regional use compare rile v.

Etymology: Probably < roil v.³ Compare earlier roiled adj. With the form rile compare rile v. 2 and riled adj. 2.

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps the same word as roil v.², showing borrowing of Anglo-Norman ruiller, Anglo-Norman and Middle French roiller, roillier, Middle French roillier in senses which are not shown by this verb but which are shown by the closely related verb Middle French roueler , rouller , Anglo-Norman rueler , ruuler , Anglo-Norman and Middle French roeler, roller, Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French rouler roll v.² (compare sense 2 at that entry), or perhaps a variant or alteration of roll v.², after Anglo-Norman ruiller, Anglo-Norman and Middle French roiller, roillier, Middle French roillier roil v.² Compare also roil v.³, which could be taken to show the same word.It is not clear whether the following example shows sense 1a or sense 2 (where it would post-date the existing evidence):a1530 (c1425) Andrew of Wyntoun Oryg. Cron. Scotl. (Royal) v. l. 4664 Vulcanus holl caldrown Quhare Bellyallys barnys ware brulyhand, And rwtowrys raggyd rech royhland [a1500 Nero rulȝeande].

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman ruiller, Anglo-Norman and Middle French roiller, Middle French roillier to roll (the eyes) (c1160 in Old French), (of the eyes) to roll, to beat, thrash (a person or object) (both late 12th cent.), (of an object) to roll over (late 13th cent.), to roll (an object) over (15th cent.; also in Middle French as roelier , rouiller , roullier , rouillier , roeillier ) < an unattested post-classical Latin form *roticulare < roticula cycle (of years) (1000 in a British source) < classical Latin rota wheel (see rota n.) + -cula -cula suffix. Compare roll v.², rial n.² Compare also roil v.¹ and roil v.³, which could be taken to show the same word.

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps originally the same word as roil v.¹ (compare 2 at that entry) or roil v.² (compare Middle French, French †rouiller to beat, thrash). Compare rile v. and earlier rial n.²

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps a specific sense of roil v.¹, or perhaps a variant or alteration of roll v.², after roil v.¹, roil v.², or roil v.³, the fish being rolled in salt as part of the curing process. Compare roiler n.²