simmer
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to cook food in liquid that is almost boiling, with small bubbles appearing slowly.
v.to cook or heat a liquid at or just below the boiling point, characterized by the gentle formation of bubbles.
Simple“Let the soup simmer for twenty minutes to let the flavours develop.”
In context“The chef instructed the apprentice to let the stock simmer overnight, ensuring the heat remained low enough to prevent a rolling boil.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
v.to let a plan or idea develop slowly in your mind.
v.to develop gradually or remain in a state of quiet activity, often referring to ideas, plans, or conflicts.
Simple“The idea for her new book had been simmering in her mind for years.”
In context“While the revolution appeared sudden, the underlying social unrest had been simmering for decades under the surface of the regime.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the state of a liquid when it is cooking very gently.
n.the state or process of simmering; a temperature just below the boiling point.
Simple“Bring the sauce to a simmer and then add the herbs.”
In context“Once the liquid reaches a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot tightly.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a person who loves playing the video game 'The Sims'.
n.a dedicated player or enthusiast of the life-simulation video game series 'The Sims'.
Simple“As a lifelong Simmer, she has spent hundreds of hours building digital houses.”
In context“The online community of Simmers reacted with excitement to the announcement of the new expansion pack.”
From alteration of dialectal simper, from Middle English simperen (“to simmer”), of possibly imitative origin. First attested in the intransitive sense. The noun is from the verb. First attested in the late 15ᵗʰ century.
From sim (“simulation”, noun) + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.