boil

noun

The point at which fluid begins to change to a vapour; the boiling point.

An instance of boiling.

(US) A social event at which people gather to boil and eat food, especially seafood. (Compare a bake or clambake.)

A dish of boiled food, especially seafood.

A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.

(archaic) A bubbling.

(rare, nonstandard) The collective noun for a group of hawks.

verb

(transitive, of liquids) To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.

(ambitransitive) To cook in boiling water.

(intransitive, of liquids) To begin to turn into a gas, seethe.

(intransitive, of liquids) To be agitated like boiling water; to bubble; to effervesce.

(transitive) To form, or separate, by boiling or evaporation.

(intransitive, informal, used only in progressive tenses, of weather) To be uncomfortably hot.

(intransitive, informal, used only in progressive tenses) To feel uncomfortably hot.

(transitive, UK, informal) To bring to a boil, to heat so as to cause the contents to boil.

To be moved or excited with passion; to be hot or fervid.

(obsolete) To steep or soak in warm water.

Roots

bullireboil- · Latin · to bubble, boil

Synonyms for boil

furunclen seethev simmerv gumboiln parboilv decoctv ebullitionn stewingn churnv braisev roilv cookn scaldv effervescev broiln fryn casserolen

Synonyms & related words for boil

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of boil — including furuncle, seethe, simmer, gumboil, parboil, decoct. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to boil

Explore words related to boil — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include preboil, reboil, unboiled, furunculosis, saucepan, stewpan, refluxing, kettleful. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for boil

Common synonyms for boil include furuncle, seethe, simmer, gumboil, parboil, decoct, ebullition, stewing — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does boil come from?

The word boil breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root boil, from Latin bullire (“to bubble, boil”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.