- boil
- boil n *abscess, furuncle, carbuncle, pimple, pustuleboil vb Boil, seethe, simmer, parboil, stew mean to prepare (as food) in a liquid heated to the point where it emits considerable steam.Boil implies the bubbling of the liquid and the rapid escape of steam; it may be applied to the liquid alone, but usually it suggests a fast method of accomplishing an end (as cooking or cleansing){
boil water
}{the water is boiling
}{boil eggs
}{boil clothes
}Seethe differs only slightly from boil. It emphasizes the subjection of something to the influence of a boiling liquid in order to cook it thoroughly or to make an infusion of it{tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe— Exod 16:23
}This difference, though slight, is also apparent in extended senses of boil and of seethe, for boil suggests a sudden rise and ebullition{he boiled with anger
}and seethe suggests the agitation and turmoil which follows a cause of excitement{the crowd was seething with excitement
}Simmer suggests that the liquid is at the point of boiling; it implies less steam and less bubbling than boil and is used, therefore, to denote a gentle and slower form of cooking{corned beef should be simmered, not boiled
}{simmer milk
}Parboil usually implies boiling for a limited time to prepare some food for further cooking (as by roasting or frying){parboil potatoes prior to roasting them with beef
}{parboil a chicken before frying it
}Stew implies long slow simmering, usually in a closed vessel; it is used especially in reference to meats or fruits cooked until they are tender or broken up{stew beef and kidneys together
}{stew fruit for dessert
}
New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.