Related Searches
Nearby Words
Synonyms

parboil

 [pahr-boil]   Origin

par·boil

   [pahr-boil]
verb (used with object)
to boil partially or for a short time; precook.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English parboylen to boil partly, (rarely) to boil fully < Middle French parboillir < Late Latin perbullīre to boil through and through (see per-, boil); change of meaning by confusion of par- with part
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To parboil

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Parboil is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to spend time idly; loaf.
LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Collins
World English Dictionary
parboil (ˈpɑːˌbɔɪl)
 
—vb
1.  to boil until partially cooked, often before further cooking
2.  to subject to uncomfortable heat
 
[C15: from Old French parboillir, from Late Latin perbullīre to boil thoroughly (see per-, boil1); modern meaning due to confusion of par- with part]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

parboil
1381, from O.Fr. parboillir, from M.L. perbullire "to boil thoroughly," from L. per "through, thoroughly" + bullire "to boil" (see boil (v.)). Main modern meaning "boil partially" (c.1440) is by mistaken association of the prefix with part.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT
How many words do you know? FIND OUT