parboil

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To boil food briefly so that it is partly cooked.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-parboil.wav

Word forms

parboil parboils parboiling parboiled

Etymology

From Middle English parboyle, from Old French parbouillir (“to boil thoroughly”), from Medieval Latin perbulliō, from Latin per (“thoroughly”) + bulliō (“to boil”). Sense “to boil partially” (c.1440), rather than original “to boil thoroughly” is by corruption: associating the prefix with part (from Latin pars (“part”)) rather than per.

Related words

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