boil
noun
Definitions of boil noun
swelling
- Countable
a painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin.
A painful boil developed on his arm.
She cleaned the boil with warm water and soap.
The boil caused him a great deal of discomfort on his back.
heat
- Singular
the action of bringing something to a very high temperature in liquid
Boiling is an effective way to kill bacteria in water.
Boiling is necessary for sterilization before cooking.
The boil needs to last for a certain amount of time to complete the process.
Phrases of boil noun
- a/the boil
The state of a liquid when it has reached its boiling point.
• Once the water reaches a boil, add the pasta.
verb
Definitions of boil verb
heat
- A2TransitiveIntransitive
to reach or cause a liquid to reach the temperature at which it vaporizes.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Please boil the milk before drinking.
This soup needs to boil for ten minutes.
- B1TransitiveIntransitive
to heat a container, typically for cooking, until the liquid in it turns into vapor.
The soup in the pot is boiling.
I can hear the kettle boiling.
Please boil the kettle to prepare tea.
cook
- B1Transitive
to cook food by immersing it in boiling water.
She boiled eggs for breakfast.
You need to boil the pasta for ten minutes.
I will boil the vegetables and then season them.
wash
- Transitive
to wash clothing in extremely hot water.
She boiled the bedsheets to disinfect them.
In the past, people would boil clothes to remove dirt.
Boiling the clothes helps remove tough stains.
anger
- Intransitiveinformal
to be experiencing a high level of anger.
He was boiling with anger about the unfair treatment.
She was boiling with rage upon hearing the news.
He was absolutely boiling when he found out he had been deceived.
Phrases of boil verb
- boil dry
When a container or food boils dry, all of the liquid in the container evaporates, typically because it was cooked for too long.
• He left a pot of water on the stove, and it boiled dry.
Idioms
- go off the boil
To lose interest in something or become less enthusiastic or urgent about it.
• The new product had a great launch, but now sales seem to have gone off the boil.
- can't boil an egg
Used to describe someone who is completely incapable of even the most basic cooking tasks.
• He can't even boil an egg, let alone prepare a full dinner.
Phrasal Verbs of boil
- boil something down
to condense information, typically to only its essential elements
• During the meeting, he boiled the entire report down to three key points.
- boil away
When a liquid is heated, it completely evaporates, leaving no residue in liquid form.
• Boil the water in the pot until it completely boils away.
- boil up
When a negative emotion intensifies and becomes hard to manage.
• During the discussion, his anger began to boil up and eventually became uncontrollable.
- boil something up
to bring a liquid or food to a boil by heating it in a pan
• He boiled the water up to make soup.
- boil down to something
When a situation or issue is reduced to something, it signifies the fundamental cause.
• All the discussions ultimately boil down to the spirit of teamwork.
- boil over
When a challenging situation or negative emotion boils over, it becomes uncontrollable, and conflicts or disagreements occur.
• During the meeting, his anger finally boiled over, and he lost his temper completely.
- boil (something) down
to heat a liquid or food until some of it evaporates, reducing its volume, or to undergo such a reduction
• He boiled the soup down for a while to enhance its flavor.