boil

/bɔil/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
boil

The chef waits for the water to come to a boil.

Definition
  1. Noun:

    • The act or state of boiling: The point at which a liquid bubbles and turns to vapor.
    • A painful, inflamed swelling on the skin: A localized infection, typically with pus.
  2. Verb:

    • To reach or cause to reach the temperature where a liquid bubbles and turns to vapor.
    • To cook something in boiling water.
    • To be in a state of intense agitation or anger (figurative).
Usage and Examples
  • Noun:

    • Wait for the boil before adding the pasta. (The state of the water bubbling vigorously.)
    • The doctor lanced the painful boil on his neck. (A skin infection.)
  • Verb:

    • Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level. (Reaches its vaporization point.)
    • Please boil the eggs for six minutes. (Cook in bubbling water.)
    • He was boiling with rage after the argument. (Was extremely angry.)
Advanced Usage
  • To make one's blood boil: To cause someone to become extremely angry.

    • The injustice of the situation made her blood boil.
  • To keep the pot boiling: To maintain an activity or provide enough money to live on.

    • He took on freelance work to keep the pot boiling.
Variants and Related Words
  • Boiler (n): A device for heating water.
  • Boiling (adj/adv): Extremely hot; very angry. (e.g., , )
  • Boiled (adj): Cooked in boiling water. (e.g., )
Synonyms
  • Simmer (v): To boil gently.
  • Seethe (v): To boil; to be filled with intense but unexpressed anger.
  • Furuncle (n): Medical term for a boil.
Phrasal Verbs
  • Boil down to (something): To reduce in quantity by boiling; to summarize or be the main reason.

    • The sauce needs to boil down to half its volume.
    • His argument boils down to a lack of trust.
  • Boil over: To overflow while boiling; for a situation to become uncontrollable, especially anger.

    • The milk boiled over onto the stove.
    • Their disagreement finally boiled over into a shouting match.
  • Boil away: To vaporize completely through boiling.

    • If you don't cover it, all the water will boil away.
Idioms
  • A watched pot never boils: Time seems to pass very slowly when you are waiting for something to happen.
  • To boil the ocean: To attempt an impossible or enormously ambitious task.
boil

The chef waits for the water to come to a boil.

Noun
  1. the temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level
    • they brought the water to a boil
  2. a painful sore with a hard core filled with pus
Verb
  1. be in an agitated emotional state
    • The customer was seething with anger
  2. be agitated
    • the sea was churning in the storm
  3. bring to, or maintain at, the boiling point
    • boil this liquid until it evaporates
  4. immerse or be immersed in a boiling liquid, often for cooking purposes
    • boil potatoes
    • boil wool
  5. come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor
    • Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius