boil-over

American

[boil-oh-ver] / ˈbɔɪlˌoʊ vər /

noun

Australian and New Zealand Slang.

an unexpected result.

boil over British

verb

to overflow or cause to overflow while boiling
(intr) to burst out in anger or excitement

she boiled over at the mention of his name

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

boil over Idioms

Erupt in anger, excitement, or other strong emotion. For example, The mere mention of a tax increase will make Kevin boil over. This phrase alludes to overflowing while boiling. [Second half of 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of boil-over

Noun use of verb phrase boil over

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“To prevent a boil-over of emotion, or in the effort to limit that, I am refraining from making comments on the issue at this time,” the sheriff said.

From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022

Obviously the headgear has had the desired effect and hopefully he can be walked or trotted to the start this time in order to prevent a repeat boil-over.

From The Guardian • Jul. 20, 2012

Hawaiian rookie Fred Patacchia caused a boil-over in the first heat of the day when he took down World No.5, tour veteran and Gold Coast local Luke Egan.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023