Boil

Boil (boil), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Boiled (boild); p. pr. & vb. n. Boiling.] [OE. boilen, OF. boilir, builir, F. bouillir, fr. L. bullire to be in a bubbling motion, from bulla bubble; akin to Gr. βομβυλίς, Lith. bumbuls. Cf. Bull an edict, Budge, v., and Ebullition.] 1. To be agitated, or tumultuously moved, as a liquid by the generation and rising of bubbles of steam (or vapor), or of currents produced by heating it to the boiling point; to be in a state of ebullition; as, the water boils.

2. To be agitated like boiling water, by any other cause than heat; to bubble; to effervesce; as, the boiling waves.

He maketh the deep to boil like a pot. Job xii. 31.

3. To pass from a liquid to an aëriform state or vapor when heated; as, the water boils away.

4. To be moved or excited with passion; to be hot or fervid; as, his blood boils with anger.

Then boiled my breast with flame and burning wrath. Surrey.

5. To be in boiling water, as in cooking; as, the potatoes are boiling.

To boil away, to vaporize; to evaporate or be evaporated by the action of heat. — To boil over, to run over the top of a vessel, as liquid when thrown into violent agitation by heat or other cause of effervescence; to be excited with ardor or passion so as to lose self-control.

Boil, v. t. 1. To heat to the boiling point, or so as to cause ebullition; as, to boil water.

2. To form, or separate, by boiling or evaporation; as, to boil sugar or salt.

3. To subject to the action of heat in a boiling liquid so as to produce some specific effect, as cooking, cleansing, etc.; as, to boil meat; to boil clothes.

The stomach cook is for the hall, And boileth meate for them all. Gower.

4. To steep or soak in warm water. [Obs.]

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

To boil down, to reduce in bulk by boiling; as, to boil down sap or sirup.

Boil, n. Act or state of boiling. [Colloq.]

Boil, n. [Influenced by boil, v. See Beal, Bile.] A hard, painful, inflamed tumor, which, on suppuration, discharges pus, mixed with blood, and discloses a small fibrous mass of dead tissue, called the core.

A blind boil, one that suppurates imperfectly, or fails to come to a head. — Delhi boil (Med.), a peculiar affection of the skin, probably parasitic in origin, prevailing in India (as among the British troops) and especially at Delhi.