Boil: meaning, definitions and examples

Similarly used to describe cooking food in boiling water or another boiled liquid.

• We need to boil the eggs for the salad.
• He boiled the potatoes until they were soft.

Used as a general term for preparing food by heating it.

• She loves to cook Italian dishes.
• He cooked dinner for his family.

Used when talking about making something warm or hot, not necessarily to the point of boiling.

• Please heat the milk before adding it to the coffee.
• He heated up the leftovers in the microwave.

Used when talking about cooking something gently just below boiling point, often over a longer period of time.

• Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes.
• She simmered the stew all afternoon.

Use this when referring to water or other liquids heating to their boiling point, or when someone is getting very angry.

• The water will boil in a few minutes
• He was so angry that he felt like he was about to boil over

Use this for very intense, often uncontrolled anger.

• His rage was uncontrollable, and he started yelling at everyone
• The storm raged outside all night

This is appropriate when someone is quietly angry or irritated, often with a sense of frustration. It can also refer to giving off smoke or gas.

• She sat and fumed silently after the unjust decision
• The car started to fume as the engine overheated

This word is suitable when someone is very angry inside but is not showing it outwardly. It also can describe a continuous motion like boiling water.

• He was seething with anger but tried to keep calm
• The waters seethed as the storm intensified

A boil is a painful, pus-filled bump under the skin caused by infected hair follicles. It is commonly used to describe this specific type of skin infection.

• She had a painful boil on her leg.
• The doctor drained the boil to relieve the pain.

An abscess is a swelling filled with pus due to an infection. It can occur in various tissues and organs, often requiring medical intervention.

• He was hospitalized with a severe abscess in his abdomen.
• The abscess on her gum caused a lot of discomfort.

A pustule is a small, red, raised spot on the skin filled with pus, commonly found in conditions like acne or chickenpox.

• His face was covered in acne pustules.
• Chickenpox caused itchy pustules all over her body.

A cyst is a sac-like pocket of tissue that can contain fluid, pus, or gas. It is usually non-infectious and can occur anywhere in the body.

• She had a benign cyst on her ovary.
• The dermatologist removed a cyst from his back.