verb
boil
boyl
verb
1
To heat a liquid until it bubbles and turns to vapor.
"Boil the water before adding the pasta."
"The kettle takes about three minutes to boil."
noun
1
A painful, swollen, pus-filled lump on the skin caused by infection.
"The boil on his neck needed to be lanced by a doctor."
How to Use Boil
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo heat a liquid to bubbling point — or, as a noun, a painful infected swelling on the skin.
Common mistake
These are two historically separate words that happen to be spelled the same; don't assume a connection between "the water boils" and "a boil on the skin."
Common pairings
bring to a boil
boil water
lance a boil
Word Forms
boiled past tense, boilt past tense, boils plural, boils plural, boils singular
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Fill the Gap
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_____ the water before adding the pasta.
Etymology
From Old English byle/byl, "swelling," related to Dutch buil and German Beule — both meaning "boil" or "swelling."