boil
1to change from a liquid to a gaseous state, producing bubbles of gas that rise to the surface of the liquid, agitating it as they rise: Water boils at 100°C.
to reach or be brought to the boiling point: When the water boils, add the meat and cabbage.
to be in an agitated or violent state: The sea boiled in the storm.
to be deeply stirred or upset: I didn’t dare open my mouth, as I was boiling with rage.
to contain, or be contained in, a liquid that boils: The kettle is boiling.The vegetables are boiling.
to cause to boil or to bring to the boiling point: Boil two cups of water.
to cook (something) in boiling water: Don’t boil the eggs too long if you want soft yolks.
to separate (sugar, salt, etc.) from a solution containing it by boiling off the liquid: A basic candy can be made by simply boiling sugar in a pan.
the act, state, or condition of boiling:He brought a kettle of water to a boil.
a social event at which food is cooked in boiling water: We celebrated harvest and the end of summer with a corn boil in the backyard.A jam-packed frosh week kicks off with a crawfish boil and outdoor concert.
an area of agitated, swirling, bubbling water, such as part of a rapids: My flashlight beam shone on the boil of the river as it beat against the bridge’s foundations.
Also called blow .Civil Engineering. an unwanted flow of water and solid matter into an excavation, due to excessive outside water pressure.
boil down,
to reduce the quantity of by boiling off liquid: Boil the sauce down till it just covers the cutlets.
to shorten; abridge: I think you could boil this lengthy essay down to a couple of pages.
to be simplifiable or summarizable as; lead to the conclusion that; point: It all boils down to a basic lack of respect for their employees.
boil off, : Also boil out .
to remove or be removed by evaporation, as through boiling: The alcohol in this rum cake boils off in baking.Maple syrup is made by boiling off the excess water from the sap.
to degum (silk).
to remove (sizing, wax, impurities, or the like) from a fabric by subjecting it to a hot scouring solution.
boil out,
to clear deposits of calcium, minerals, etc., from (a vehicle’s radiator) by immersing it in boiling water for a time.
to eliminate by or as if by boiling: Unlike the germs in your drinking water, lead can't be boiled out.The events in the stories have had most of their specialness boiled out by decades of repetition.
boil over,
to overflow while boiling or as if while boiling; burst forth; erupt: Your soup boiled over and made a mess on the stove.
to be unable to suppress anger, excitement, etc.: Any mention of the incident makes her boil over.
Origin of boil
1synonym study For boil
Other words for boil
Words Nearby boil
Other definitions for boil (2 of 2)
a painful, circumscribed inflammation of the skin or a hair follicle, having a dead, suppurating inner core: usually caused by a staphylococcal infection.
Origin of boil
2- Also called furuncle .
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use boil in a sentence
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season liberally with salt.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole | Carla Hall | December 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn conversation, her ideas emerge at a roiling boil that often takes on a momentum of its own.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination | Mindy Farabee | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the string beans.
A curse-filled half hour that saw my blood boil as my filing deadline ticked further into the past.
J.K. Rowling Pens the Greatest Horror Story Ever: Dolores Umbridge Was Real | Kevin Fallon | October 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBusinesses are suffering more each day in an area where the rents are extortionate, and the situation could boil over soon.
Still he hung on, drawing himself upward to hook a leg over the very pipe that threatened to boil him alive.
When the Cave-men first learned to boil water, do you think they would think of boiling food?
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth Doppboil the oil and soap together in a pipkin, and then gradually stir in the sand and lemon-juice.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyLike a boil, such a horse race as this must burst some day, and it was reaching the acute stage.
Scattergood Baines | Clarence Budington KellandLet it boil in the suds for an hour or more, till the lace is clean and white all through.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence Hartley
British Dictionary definitions for boil (1 of 2)
/ (bɔɪl) /
to change or cause to change from a liquid to a vapour so rapidly that bubbles of vapour are formed copiously in the liquid: Compare evaporate
to reach or cause to reach boiling point
to cook or be cooked by the process of boiling
(intr) to bubble and be agitated like something boiling; seethe: the ocean was boiling
(intr) to be extremely angry or indignant (esp in the phrase make one's blood boil): she was boiling at his dishonesty
(intr) to contain a boiling liquid: the pot is boiling
the state or action of boiling (esp in the phrases on the boil, off the boil)
Origin of boil
1Derived forms of boil
- boilable, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for boil (2 of 2)
/ (bɔɪl) /
a red painful swelling with a hard pus-filled core caused by bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, esp at a hair follicle: Technical name: furuncle
Origin of boil
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for boil
[ boil ]
To change from a liquid to a gaseous state by being heated to the boiling point and being provided with sufficient energy. Boiling is an example of a phase transition.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with boil
In addition to the idioms beginning with boil
- boil down
- boiling point
- boil over
also see:
- make one's blood boil
- watched pot never boils
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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