Definition of parboilnext
as in to boil
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam parboil a lobster

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parboil Gnocchi and mushrooms roast without parboiling, then get finished with creamy ricotta and lemon to cut through the richness. — Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026 For a simpler approach to preparing Brussels sprouts, skip parboiling and move straight to roasting. — Maddy Bendgen, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2025 It can be used on any vegetable that can be parboiled. — CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025 However, unlike death cap mushrooms and destroying angels, many of the toxins found in Amanita muscaria are water-soluble and can be removed by parboiling them prior to cooking or by other means. — Matt Kasson, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025 Shortly after Thomas More, a leading statesman and longtime friend of Henry VIII, was executed on July 6, 1535, his head was parboiled and tarred, then stuck on a spike on London Bridge as a warning not to defy the king. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parboil
boil
Verb
  • Meghan shows a pot of berries boiling on the stove, and pans over to little Lilibet, wooden spoon in hand.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In the end, director Duong, recognizing Aunt Hanh’s residual indignation, lances that boil.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parboil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parboil. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster