Food / B1

BOYL/bɔɪl/

To boil is to heat a liquid until it bubbles: boil water; bring to the boil; a boiled egg. Simmer is gentler, just below boiling; grill and fry use dry heat. Boiling can also mean very hot in informal British speech: it is boiling in here. Boiling point is the science collocation.

Meaning

To heat a liquid until it starts to produce bubbles and steam.

Examples

• “Boil the water before you add the pasta.”
• “Boil the potatoes for ten minutes.”
• “Wait until the soup comes to the boil.”

Good to know

boil water. bring to the boil. Gentler: simmer. Informal: it is boiling = very hot.

Near in meaning

simmer

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