# boil

/ˈbɔɪɫ/ (US) · /bˈɔɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boil
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. liquid turning to gas

verb · CEFR A2

to heat a liquid until it bubbles and starts to turn into steam.

For teachers: to reach the temperature at which a liquid changes into a vapour. Often used intransitively.

- Wait for the water to boil before you add the pasta to the pot.
- At high altitudes, water begins to boil at a lower temperature because the atmospheric pressure is significantly reduced.

### 2. to cook in water

verb · CEFR A2

to cook food by putting it in very hot, bubbling water.

For teachers: to cook or prepare food by immersion in boiling liquid. Transitive use.

- You should boil the potatoes for twenty minutes until they are soft.
- The chef instructed the apprentice to boil the vegetables briefly to maintain their vibrant colour and crisp texture.

### 3. to be very hot

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to feel very hot or to be in a place that is too warm.

For teachers: to experience or be characterized by intense heat. Used figuratively in informal contexts.

- I am boiling in this heavy coat; I need to take it off.
- The office was boiling throughout the afternoon because the air conditioning system had failed during the heatwave.

### 4. the state of boiling

noun · CEFR B1

the point or state when a liquid is bubbling and very hot.

For teachers: the state or process of reaching the boiling point.

- Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat to let it simmer.
- Once the mixture reaches a full rolling boil, you must stir it constantly to prevent the sugar from burning at the bottom of the pan.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'bring to a boil' or 'come to a boil'.

### 5. a social event

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Informal

a party or gathering where people cook and eat boiled seafood together.

For teachers: A social gathering, particularly in the Southern United States, centered around the communal boiling and consumption of seafood.

- We are having a shrimp boil in the backyard this Saturday afternoon.
- The annual crawfish boil has become a staple of the community's spring calendar, attracting hundreds of residents to the park.

### 6. a skin infection

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a painful, red swelling on the skin that is filled with pus.

For teachers: A painful, localized pyogenic infection of the skin, typically originating in a hair follicle.

- The doctor gave him some cream to help heal the boil on his neck.
- The physician determined that the boil was the result of a staphylococcal infection and prescribed a course of antibiotics.

## Examples

- Wait for the water to reach a boil before adding the rice.
- The recipe says to bring the sauce to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, the rapid evaporation of water concentrates the sugars, which is essential for achieving the correct consistency in jam making.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.