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boil

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Boil means to change or be changed from a liquid to a gas, or to get very mad.

(verb)

An example of to boil is to put water on the stove until it starts to bubble.
An example of to boil is to become enraged at an accident.

The definition of boil is the act of becoming very angry or changing from liquid to gas, or a boil is a swelling on the skin full of pus.

(noun)

An example of a boil is the placing of water on the stove until it bubbles in the pot.
An example of a boil is a huge sore on the body.

See boil in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb

to bubble up and vaporize over direct heat
to reach the vaporizing stage
to seethe or churn like a boiling liquid
to be agitated, as with rage
to cook in boiling water or other liquid

Origin: ME boilen < OFr boillir < L bullire < bulla, a bubble, knob; prob. < IE *bu-, var. of echoic base *beu-, *bheu-, to blow up, cause to swell

transitive verb

to heat to the boiling point
to cook, process, or separate in boiling water or other liquid

noun

the act or state of boiling

noun

an inflamed, painful, pus-filled swelling on the skin, caused by localized infection; furuncle

Origin: orig., & still dial., bile < ME byle < OE byle, byl (akin to Ger beule) < IE base of boil

See boil in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb boiled, boil·ing, boils

verb, intransitive

a. To change from a liquid to a vapor by the application of heat: All the water boiled away and left the kettle dry.
b. To reach the boiling point.
c. To undergo the action of boiling, especially in being cooked.
To be in a state of agitation; seethe: a river boiling over the rocks.
To be stirred up or greatly excited: The mere idea made me boil.

verb, transitive

a. To vaporize (a liquid) by the application of heat.
b. To heat to the boiling point.
To cook or clean by boiling.
To separate by evaporation in the process of boiling: boil the maple sap.

noun

The condition or act of boiling.
Lower Southern U.S. A picnic featuring shrimp, crab, or crayfish boiled in large pots with spices, and then shelled and eaten by hand.
An agitated, swirling, roiling mass of liquid: “Those tumbling boils show a dissolving bar and a changing channel there” (Mark Twain).

Phrasal Verbs: boil down To reduce in bulk or size by boiling. To condense; summarize: boiled down the complex document. To constitute the equivalent of in summary: The scathing editorial simply boils down to an exercise in partisan politics. boil over To overflow while boiling. To lose one's temper.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English boillen

Origin: , from Old French boillir

Origin: , from Latin bullīre

Origin: , from bulla, bubble

Related Forms:

boilˈa·ble adjective

noun

A painful, circumscribed pus-filled inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue usually caused by a local staphylococcal infection. Also called furuncle.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English bile

Origin: , from Old English bȳle

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