Boil
/bɔɪl/noun
To cook in boiling water or other liquid; also, to bubble and churn from heat.
Did you know?The English word comes through Old French from Latin bullīre, meaning “to bubble,” which is also why it’s related to the same ancient root behind “bubble.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to swell, bubble, or blow up”
Latin
Latin
bullīre
“to bubble, seethe”
Old French
Old French
boillir
“to boil, bubble up”
Middle English
English
boilen
“to boil, cook in liquid”
Modern English
English
boil
“to cook or become agitated by bubbling heat”