To boil down

To boil down
Boil Boil, v. t. 1. To heat to the boiling point, or so as to cause ebullition; as, to boil water. [1913 Webster]

2. To form, or separate, by boiling or evaporation; as, to boil sugar or salt. [1913 Webster]

3. To subject to the action of heat in a boiling liquid so as to produce some specific effect, as cooking, cleansing, etc.; as, to boil meat; to boil clothes. [1913 Webster]

The stomach cook is for the hall, And boileth meate for them all. --Gower. [1913 Webster]

4. To steep or soak in warm water. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

To try whether seeds be old or new, the sense can not inform; but if you boil them in water, the new seeds will sprout sooner. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

{To boil down}, to reduce in bulk by boiling; as, to boil down sap or sirup. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • boil down something — boil down (something) to reduce something to its most basic or important parts. I am supposed to boil down this ten page report to half a page. The whole question boils down to how will we pay for this? …   New idioms dictionary

  • boil down — (something) to reduce something to its most basic or important parts. I am supposed to boil down this ten page report to half a page. The whole question boils down to how will we pay for this? …   New idioms dictionary

  • boil down to something — ˌboil ˈdown to sth derived (not used in the progressive tenses) (of a situation, problem, etc.) to have sth as a main or basic part • In the end, what it all boils down to is money, or the lack of it. Main entry: ↑boil …   Useful english dictionary

  • boil down — index abridge (shorten), distill, lessen Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • boil down — verb 1. be the essential element (Freq. 1) The proposal boils down to a compromise • Syn: ↑reduce, ↑come down • Derivationally related forms: ↑reducible (for: ↑reduc …   Useful english dictionary

  • boil down to — COME DOWN TO, amount to, add up to, be in essence. → boil * * * boil down to (figurative) To mean, to signify when reduced to essentials • • • Main Entry: ↑boil * * * ˌboil ˈdown to [transitive] never progressive [ …   Useful english dictionary

  • boil down — v. 1) (d; intr.) to boil down to (it all boils down to one simple fact) 2) (D; tr.) to boil down to (she boiled the whole story down to one paragraph) * * * [ bɔɪl daʊn] (d; intr.) to boil down to (it all boil downs down to one simple fact) (D;… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • boil down — phrasal verb Word forms boil down : present tense I/you/we/they boil down he/she/it boils down present participle boiling down past tense boiled down past participle boiled down 1) [intransitive/transitive] to become smaller in quantity after… …   English dictionary

  • boil down phrasal — verb 1 (intransitive, transitive boil something down) if a food or liquid boils down, it becomes less after cooking: Spinach tends to boil down a lot. 2 (T) boil sth down to make information shorter by not including anything that is not necessary …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • boil down to — phrasal verb [transitive, never progressive] Word forms boil down to : present tense I/you/we/they boil down to he/she/it boils down to present participle boiling down to past tense boiled down to past participle boiled down to boil down to… …   English dictionary

  • boil down — PHR V ERG When you boil down a liquid or food, or when it boils down, it is boiled until there is less of it because some of the water in it has changed into steam or vapour. [V P n (not pron)] He boils down red wine and uses what s left... [V P] …   English dictionary

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