boil

verb (HEAT LIQUID)

/bɔɪl/

Definition

A2 [I or T] to reach, or cause something to reach, the temperature at which a liquid starts to turn into a gas: Liquid nitrogen boils at a very low temperature. She scalded herself on some boiling water. If you give water to a small baby to drink, you have to boil it first.Physical and chemical processesHot and heatSultriness and humidity B1 [I or T] to heat a container, especially one used for cooking, until the liquid in it starts to turn into a gas: Could you boil the kettle for me? The pan's boiling.Physical and chemical processes B1 [T] to cook food by putting it in water that is boiling: I've boiled some potatoes for dinner. boiled carrotsPreparing food using heatPreparing food boil dry › If a container or food boils dry, all the liquid in the container in which the food was cooking turns to gas.Preparing food using heatPreparing food › [T] to wash clothes in a container of very hot waterCleaning clothes

(Definition of boil verb (HEAT LIQUID) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)