boil

boil1 [ bɔıl ] verb *

1. ) intransitive or transitive if a liquid boils, or if you boil it, it becomes so hot that there are BUBBLES in it and it starts to become a gas:

When the water boils, add the rice.

Boil some milk in a pan.

put something on to boil (=put liquid in a container and heat it until it boils): She put two pans of soup on to boil.

a ) if a container boils, or if you boil it, the liquid in it boils:

He stood in the kitchen waiting for the pan to boil.

boil dry (=boil until there is no liquid left): The saucepan had boiled dry and the carrots were burned.

2. ) transitive to cook food in water that is boiling:

How long does it take to boil an egg?

a ) intransitive to be cooked in water that is boiling:

The pasta needs to boil for 10 minutes.

put something on to boil (=start to cook something in hot water): Can you put the vegetables on to boil, please?

b ) transitive to wash clothes in water that is boiling

3. ) intransitive to feel something such as anger very strongly:

James felt the fury boiling within him.

boil with rage/anger: Boiling with rage, Kate slammed the car door and drove off.

=> BLOOD

,boil `down phrasal verb

1. ) intransitive or transitive to become smaller in quantity after cooking because some of the liquid has turned to gas, or to make something do this:

Boil the meat juices down to make a thick sauce.

2. ) transitive to make something such as a piece of writing shorter by giving only the basic, most important facts:

boil something down to something: Whole pages of information get boiled down to one paragraph in the paper.

,boil `down to phrasal verb transitive never progressive

boil down to something to be the main reason for something or the most basic part of something:

It's difficult to choose which appliance to buy, but in the end it usually boils down to cost.

,boil `over phrasal verb intransitive

1. ) if a liquid boils over, it rises so much when it boils that it flows over the top of the container that it is in:

There was a hissing sound as the soup boiled over.

2. ) if a situation or feeling boils over, people cannot control their anger and start to fight or argue:

Racial tensions in the area were boiling over.

boil over into: The dispute finally boiled over into a series of violent protests.

,boil `up phrasal verb

1. ) intransitive if a situation or feeling boils up, people start to feel angry:

Anger was boiling up inside me.

2. ) transitive to heat liquid, or to heat something in a liquid, until it boils:

Will you boil up some water?

Keep the chicken bones and boil them up to make a stock.

boil

boil 2 [ bɔıl ] noun count

a painful lump on your skin that has become infected and is filled with PUS (=an unpleasant yellow liquid)

come to a boil

1. ) if a situation or feeling comes to a boil, it starts to become more serious or dangerous:

Political tensions are once again coming to a boil.

2. ) if a liquid comes to a boil, it starts to boil:

She waited for the water to come to a boil.

on the boil BRITISH

if a situation or feeling is on the boil, it is very strong or a lot of people are talking about it:

The press is trying to keep the issue on the boil.

take something off the boil BRITISH

to remove something from heat so that it stops boiling