hard-boiled

[hahrd-boild]

adjective

1. Cooking.,  (of an egg) boiled boil in the shell long enough for the yolk and white to solidify.

2. Informal.,  tough; unsentimental.

   a hard-boiled vice-squad detective.

3. marked by a direct, clear-headed approach; realistic.

   a hard-boiled appraisal of the foreign situation.

4. (of detective fiction) written in a laconic, dispassionate, often ironic style for a realistic, unsentimental effect.

hard-boiled

adjective

1. (of an egg) boiled until the yolk and white are solid

2. informal

   1. tough, realistic

   2. cynical

Other Word Forms

• hard-boiledness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hard-boiled¹

1715–25; 1895–80 hard-boiled for def. 2; hard + boiled

Example Sentences

Shortly after opening Houseman, Baldwin was thinking about putting oeuf mayonnaise — a classic hors d'oeuvre featuring hard-boiled eggs topped with seasoned mayonnaise — as a dish on the menu.

From Salon

At the center of that deliriously hopeful dinner is the aforementioned timpano: a hulking, drum-shaped marvel filled with layers of pasta, meatballs, salami, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and ragù.

From Salon

A cultured breed distinct from the hard-boiled native brand, its king and queen are Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, as it is almost impossible not to know.

From Los Angeles Times

It can transform soggy, limp leftovers into crisp, crunchy delights, cook excellent wings, salmon, steaks and chicken breasts, and even make "hard-boiled" eggs.

From Salon

If you prefer fully set, hard-boiled yolks, go for the longer cook time.

From Salon

Related Words

• hard-nosed