Library / English Dictionary

BOIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level

Example:

they brought the water to a boil

Synonyms:

boil; boiling point

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("boil" is a kind of...):

temperature (the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity))

Derivation:

boil (immerse or be immersed in a boiling liquid, often for cooking purposes)

boil (bring to, or maintain at, the boiling point)

boil (come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A painful sore with a hard core filled with pus

Synonyms:

boil; furuncle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("boil" is a kind of...):

staphylococcal infection (an infection with staphylococcus bacteria; usually marked by abscess formation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "boil"):

gumboil (a boil or abscess on the gums)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Immerse or be immersed in a boiling liquid, often for cooking purposes

Example:

boil wool

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "boil" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "boil"):

overboil (boil excessively)

simmer (boil slowly at low temperature)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs boil the vegetables

Derivation:

boil (the temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level)

boiler (a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bring to, or maintain at, the boiling point

Example:

boil this liquid until it evaporates

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "boil" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Cause:

boil (come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "boil"):

decoct (extract the essence of something by boiling it)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They boil the water

Derivation:

boil (the temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level)

boiler (sealed vessel where water is converted to steam)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor

Example:

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "boil" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "boil"):

boil over; overboil (overflow or cause to overflow while boiling)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The water boils

Antonym:

freeze (change to ice)

Derivation:

boil (the temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level)

boiler (sealed vessel where water is converted to steam)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Be in an agitated emotional state

Example:

The customer was seething with anger

Synonyms:

boil; seethe

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "boil" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "boil"):

bubble over; overflow; spill over (overflow with a certain feeling)

ferment (be in an agitated or excited state)

sizzle (seethe with deep anger or resentment)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue boil over the results of the experiment

Sense 5

Meaning:

Be agitated

Example:

the sea was churning in the storm

Synonyms:

boil; churn; moil; roil

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "boil" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "boil"):

roll; seethe (boil vigorously)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The water boils

Credits

 Context examples: 

“That is the same drug that I was always bringing him,” said Poole; and even as he spoke, the kettle with a startling noise boiled over.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I could see the waves boiling white under her forefoot.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

A synthetic, brick-red crystalline solid that is only slightly soluble in cold water and ethanol but is soluble in boiling water, acetic acid, glycerol, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.

(Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

I had it, together with this piece of the true rood, from the five-and-twentieth descendant of Joseph of Arimathea, who still lives in Jerusalem alive and well, though latterly much afflicted by boils.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Derived by boiling impure water and condensing the resultant steam in a sterile container, distilled water has been shown to kill bladder cancer cells in vitro through osmotic lysis (cytolysis)

(Distilled Water, NCI Thesaurus)

In this scale, the freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the boiling point is 212 degrees, placing the boiling and melting points of water 180 degrees apart.

(Degree Fahrenheit, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Neutral particles provide the buoyancy the gnarled knots of magnetic energy need to rise through the sun’s boiling plasma and reach the chromosphere.

(Scientists Uncover Origins of the Sun’s Swirling Spicules, NASA)

It also means that the top of the planet's atmosphere is heated to a blazing 4,600 degrees Fahrenheit (2,500 Celsius), hot enough to boil some metals.

(Hubble Detects Exoplanet with Glowing Water Atmosphere, NASA)

The study shows that if the fish is boiled, the reduction is smaller, 18%, with the corresponding increase in risk for the consumer.

(Steaming Fish More Healthy than Boiling, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The temperature scale defined by the values 0 degree Celsius for the freezing point of water and 100 degrees Celsius for the boiling point of water.

(Celsius Scale, NCI Thesaurus)