• (British) IPA: /bɔɪl/

boil (plural boils)

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

• abscess
• carbuncle
• cyst
• furuncle
• pimple
• pustule

• French: furoncle
• German: Furunkel, Eiterbeule
• Italian: foruncolo, pustola
• Portuguese: abcesso, furúnculo, pústula, carbúnculo, cisto, íngua, bubão, tumor
• Russian: нары́в
• Spanish: furúnculo, forúnculo

boil (plural boils)

1. The point at which fluid begins to change to a vapour.

   Add the noodles when the water comes to the boil.

2. A dish of boiled food, especially based on seafood.
3. (rare, nonstandard) The collective noun for a group of hawks.

• French: bouillir
• Portuguese: fervura
• Russian: кипе́ние
• Spanish: hervir

boil (boils, present participle boiling; past and past participle boiled)

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

   Boil some water in a pan.

2. (ambitransitive) To cook in boiling water.

   Boil the eggs for two minutes.

   Is the rice boiling yet?

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

   Pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

4. (transitive, UK, informal) To bring to a boil, to heat so as to cause the contents to boil.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 20–21:

     I'll boil the kettle.

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

   It’s boiling outside!

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

   I’m boiling in here – could you open the window?

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

   to boil sugar or salt

8. (obsolete) To steep or soak in warm water.
   • 1626, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum, Or, A Naturall Historie: In Ten Centuries

     To try whether seeds be old or new, the sense cannot inform; but if you boil them in water, the new seeds will sprout sooner.

9. To be agitated like boiling water; to bubble; to effervesce.

   the boiling waves of the sea

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Job 12:31 ↗:

     He maketh the deep to boil like a pot.

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

    His blood boils with anger.

    • Then boiled my breast with flame and burning wrath.

• (of a liquid) seethe, well, plaw (UK, dialectal, dated, uncommon); see also Thesaurus:cook
• (of the weather) bake, scorch, swelter
• (of a person) seethe, bake, stew

• (of a liquid) condense
• (of the weather) freeze
• (of a person) freeze

• ebullient

• French: faire bouillir, porter à ébullition
• German: sieden
• Italian: far bollire
• Portuguese: ferver
• Russian: кипяти́ть
• Spanish: hervir

• French: faire bouillir
• German: kochen
• Portuguese: ferver
• Russian: вари́ть
• Spanish: hervir, bullir

• French: bouillir
• German: kochen
• Italian: bollire
• Portuguese: ferver, evaporar
• Russian: закипа́ть

• Russian: запа́риться