parboil

American  

[pahr-boil] / ˈpɑrˌbɔɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to boil partially or for a short time; precook.

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parboil British  

/ ˈpɑːˌbɔɪl /

verb

1. to boil until partially cooked, often before further cooking

2. to subject to uncomfortable heat

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Etymology

Origin of parboil

1400–50; late Middle English parboylen to boil partly, (rarely) to boil fully < Middle French parboillir < Late Latin perbullīre to boil through and through ( per-, boil ¹ ); change of meaning by confusion of par- with part

Explanation

To parboil is to boil food, usually vegetables, briefly and lightly. To parboil is to partially boil, like someone really sleepy is telling you to “part boil” the parsnips before you roast them. To boil something, you cook it in hot, steaming water, often for a long time. Parboiling takes boiling down a notch. When you parboil, you boil just a little while, which is enough for some vegetables but for other food that’s just the first step in the cooking process. Sometimes you parboil, also called blanch, food before you freeze it. The Latin root actually meant the opposite, but parboil sounds too much like “part boil,” so there you have it.

Example Sentences

Grab them, prep and parboil them, then stick them in the freezer.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2022

Rinse the rice thoroughly to get rid of excess starch, and then parboil until the rice is soft on the outside but still firm on the inside.

From Washington Post • Apr. 14, 2020

That would take less than four minutes—three to get the water boiling and about 30 seconds more to parboil the vegetables before transferring them to an ice bath.

From Slate • Jul. 18, 2018

Best grilled artichokes: Cut artichokes in half, scoop out the choke, parboil until tender.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2010

Then parboil and remove rough edges, membranes, sinews, etc.

From Suppers Novel Suggestions for Social Occasions by Pierce, Paul