boilern.
/ˈbɔɪlə/, U.S. /ˈbɔɪlər/ 1. One who boils (anything).
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the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > action of boiling > [noun] > one who boils
boilerc1540
c1540 in Coll. Ordinances Royal Househ. (1790) 236 That the Cookes and Boylers doe dresse the Meate well.
1661 R. Boyle Sceptical Chymist 364 The boilers of saltpetre.
1835 A. Ure Philos. Manuf. 204 Wool-sorters..fullers or millers, boilers, giggers.
2. ⓘ
a. A vessel in which water or any liquid is boiled.Sometimes applied to devices providing domestic hot water, but without implication of wider distribution via pipework (compare sense 2d).
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society > occupation and work > equipment > receptacle or container > vessel > vessel in which liquid is boiled > [noun]
furnacec1290
boiler1591
water boiler1774
pressure boiler1891
1591 Honorable Entertainem. Queenes Maiestie at Eluetham Proeme sig. A3 A boiling house for the great boiler. A roome for the scullery.
1649 J. Ogilby tr. Virgil Æneis i. 8 in tr. Virgil Wks. On shore some boylers place, and fire prepare.
1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World i. 70 They had built several Furnaces and Boilers.
1773 Gen. Evening Post 2 Dec. (advt.) The kitchen is large and light, well fitted up with range, smoak-jack, stove... Also a back kitchen, with boiler fixt, dresser, shelves, &c.
1800 R. R. Livingston Let. 4 June in T. Jefferson Papers (2005) XXXII. 9 A boiler..should be fixed in the hearth furnished with a cock for family use.
1815 M. Elphinstone Acct. Kingdom Caubul iv. i. 467 Messes of ten each, who have a tent, a boiler, and a camel between them.
1862 Repertory Patent Inventions 40 48 I keep the boiler properly supplied with liquors as the evaporation proceeds, by which means the caustic alkaline liquors or soap lyes in the boiler become concentrated.
1940 Brit. Red Cross Soc. Cookery & Catering Man. (ed. 4) xviii. 153 Make a thickening of flour, add pepper and salt. Place the thickening and lentils in the boiler and boil for 30 minutes. Stir well.
2004 Daily Mail 14 Jan. 57 We had a Baby Burco boiler to provide hot water for tea or coffee.
b. A tank, usually made of wrought iron plates riveted together, for generating steam under pressure to drive the engine of a machine, locomotive, etc.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > boiler > [noun]
boiler1735
1735 M. Clare Motion of Fluids xx. 70 The Motion of the Grand Machine is made subservient to the Operation, either by turning the Steam, out of the Boiler, into the hollow Cylender.., or shutting if off.
1758 Philos. Trans. 1757 (Royal Soc.) 50 54 The engine at the York-buildings Water-works, the boiler of which is 15 feet diameter.
1829 ‘R. Stuart’ Anecd. Steam Engines i. 305 Boilers built solely of cast iron.
1891 Daily News 2 Sept. 3/1 The water is heated by means of a horizontal tubular boiler, a six-horse power engine, a centrifugal pump, and two pulsometer pumps.
1923 Mariner's Mirror 9 30/1 The boilers and engine are between the fore and main mast; between the engine and the thrust shaft there is a drawing wheel, which is beyond the deck.
2003 J. P. Lamb Perfecting Amer. Steam Locomotive 17 When the water level surrounding the furnace dropped below the top of the crown sheet, the structure could weaken and cause the boiler to explode.
c. A metal tub for washing or sterilizing clothes at a very high temperature. Now chiefly historical.Quot. 1764 probably refers to a vessel not used exclusively for washing clothes.
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1764 Compl. Man & Maid Servant 43 Roll your lace very smooth round it. After this sew another piece of cloth over it, and put it into a clean boiler of water, and set it on the fire.]
1816 J. Cleland Ann. Glasgow I. xi. 337 Boiling Clothes in a large boiler, (one hour,) Eightpence. Do. in a small Boiler, (one hour,) Fivepence.
1853 Nicholson's Operative Mechanic (ed. 4) 408 Other trays..are to be piled or placed upon this,..until the soaking-tubs or boilers are sufficiently filled.
1991 M. Henry Panto Sphinx 32 He stokes washed singlets in the boiler and wears his pit-dirt on his arms.
2018 S. Wales Echo (Nexis) 3 Apr. 22 Monday was always wash day when my nan would do the family wash in an outside scullery, using a copper boiler with a wood or coal fire underneath.
d. A fuel-burning appliance or installation used to produce hot water or steam and connected to pipework supplying a central heating system and providing hot water for washing.In earliest use denoting a water tank or cistern (compare sense 2a), sometimes known by other names such as water back n. at water n. Compounds 7, permanently attached to a fire or stove, from which hot water or steam is distributed via pipework. Later applied to the whole water-heating apparatus including the combustion chamber. Compare back-boiler n. at back- comb. form 2, saddle boiler n. at saddle n.1 Compounds 4.
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1818 J.-F. de Chabannes On conducting Air by forced Ventilation 65 The rarified water issuing at the upper pipe from the boiler is carried into cylinders placed at the bottom of the stairs, or in any other part of the house where heat is required.
1840 Gardener's Mag. New Ser. 6 274 I have, I believe, seen every kind of boiler that has yet been used for hot water, and I am of the opinion that no shape exceeds in efficiency the horse-shoe, or saddle-boiler.
1878 Vermont Watchman & State Jrnl. 13 Mar. The experiment of heating Lockport, N.Y., by steam is so successful that fifty houses and other buildings, connected by three miles of pipe, have been warmed all winter by one central boiler.
1913 W. Hutton Hot Water Supply & Kitchen Boiler Connections vi. 61 The heated water in the boiler is being forced upwards to balance the cold water in the return leg of the secondary circulation loop.
1967 Gloss. Sanitation Terms (B.S.I.) 34 A pipe in a primary hot water circuit in which water moves away from the boiler, or a pipe in a secondary hot water circuit in which water moves away from the hot-water storage vessel.
2017 Irish Independent (Nexis) 3 Mar. (Property section) 16 A heat recovery ventilation system, an air-tight design to retain heat and a gas-fired central heating system with a modern high-efficiency condensing boiler.
3. What makes anything boil, as in pot-boiler, a piece of work done to boil the pot: see boil v. 10a.
4. A vegetable, fruit, etc. suited for boiling.
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the world > plants > wild and cultivated plants > food plant or vegetable > [noun] > used for pickling or boiling
pickler1723
boiler1812
the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > fruit or a fruit > [noun] > that cooks well
baker1651
boiler1812
cooker1860
the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > vegetables > [noun] > vegetable for boiling
boiler1812
1812 Examiner 5 Oct. 634/1 Having but few Peas at Market..fine boilers are 10s. per quarter dearer.
1864 Times 24 Dec. Peas in good demand for all descriptions, and boilers rather dearer.
5. In the West Indies and Bermudas, a sunken coral reef into which the sea breaks with foam and spray.
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1909 in Cent. Dict. Suppl.
Phrases
to bu(r)st one's boiler (figurative), to come, or bring, to grief. U.S. colloquial.
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the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > fail or be unsuccessful [verb (intransitive)] > come to grief
misfareOE
miswendOE
misferec1275
misspeeda1387
miscarryc1387
mischieve?a1400
to catch copper1530
to lose one's seatc1540
mischief1598
to bu(r)st one's boiler1824
to come to grief1850
to come (also go) a mucker1851
to come (fall, get) a cropper1858
mucker1862
to go or be up the flume1865
to come undone1899
to play smash1903
to come to a sticky end1904
to come unstuck1911
1824 Franklin Herald (Greenfield, Mass.) 2 Mar. in R. H. Thornton Amer. Gloss. (1912) I
1834 W. A. Caruthers Kentuckian in N.Y. I. 218 That'll make them think somebody's busted their biler.
1847 W. I. Paulding Madmen All 189 May my boiler be eternally busted, if there isn't that are lady.
Compounds
C1. General attributive. (In sense 2b.)
boiler-explosion n.
ΚΠ
1885 Pall Mall Gaz. 14 Feb. 7/2 A boiler explosion..occurred at the Mid Kent Brickworks, Beckenham, yesterday.
boiler-house n.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > boiler > [noun] > house for
boiler room1820
boiler-house1885
1885 Pall Mall Gaz. 14 Feb. 7/2 The boiler-house was completely demolished.
C2.
boiler-alarm n. an apparatus for indicating lowness of water in a boiler.
boiler-deck n. U.S. the lower deck of a steamer, lying immediately above the boilers.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > part of vessel above water > [noun] > deck > lower deck > specific
boiler-deck1837
1837 R. M. Bird in Amer. Monthly Mag. Aug. 127 He had followed his friend, the Kentuckian, to the boiler-deck.
1877 J. Habberton Jericho Road i. 10 The new hand reached the boiler-deck, and reported to the mate.
boiler-feeder n. an apparatus for supplying a boiler with water.
boiler-float n. a float which by its rising or falling turns the feed-water off or on.
boilerful n. the amount of water or steam that will fill a boiler.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > boiler > [noun] > amount of water or steam
primage1881
boilerful1883
1883 Knowledge 1 June 323/2 A boilerful of steam.
boiler-iron n. rolled iron of 1/ 4 to 1/ 2-inch thickness, used for making steam-boilers, etc.
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > iron > [noun] > type of iron > iron for making boilers
boilerplate1793
boiler-iron1851
1851 C. Cist Sketches & Statistics Cincinnati 213 The yearly products are..five hundred tons boiler-iron, heads, etc.
1877 R. W. Raymond Statistics Mines & Mining 29 It [sc. the water-jacket] is constructed of the heaviest boiler-iron.
boilermaker n. a maker of boilers for engines.
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1865 Derby Mercury 25 Jan. The principal engineers and boiler makers in the united kingdom.
boiler-man n. a man who attends to a boiler.
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society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > workers with specific tools or equipment > [noun] > with boilers
copper-man1756
boiler-man1835
1835 M. Scott Cruise of Midge xii, in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Mar. 447/1 The cries of the boilermen to the firemakers.
boiler-protector n. a coating to prevent the escape of heat from a boiler.
boiler-smith n. a boiler-maker.
boiler suit n. an outer garment combining overalls and shirt, worn to protect clothing.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > one-piece garment > [noun]
playsuit1609
romper1902
romper suit1904
diving-suit1908
bunting1914
teddy bear1917
leotard1920
Sidcot1921
sleeper1921
romper1922
pressure suit1923
boiler suit1928
maillot1928
mono1937
footy1938
all-in-one1939
siren suit1939
goonskin1943
anti-g suit1945
G-suit1945
jump suit1948
immersion suit1951
moon suit1953
poopy suit1953
dry suit1955
wetsuit1955
sleepsuit1958
Babygro1959
tank suit1959
cat-suit1960
penguin suit1961
unitard1961
bodysuit1963
shortall1966
steamer1982
1928 Sunday Express 28 Oct. 3/7 The students had thoughtfully attired themselves in boiler suits.
1949 F. Maclean Eastern Approaches iii. ix. 412 The Prime Minister..was wearing a bright blue boiler-suit.
boiler-tube n. one of the tubes by which heat is diffused through the water in a boiler.
Draft additions April 2002
slang (usually derogatory). Originally British (now also Australian). An unattractive or unfeminine woman, esp. one who is middle-aged or elderly. Frequently in old boiler.
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1962 Observer 24 June 26/4 A good old boiler in a brown mac with a random assortment of nasturtiums secured to her head.
1976 A. Nickolds & S. Hey ‘Foul’ Bk. Football i. 15/1 He is even now truant from training prior to banging bevies of bitpart boilers in t'Smoke!
1987 K. Lette Girls' Night Out (1989) 34 I mean, I don't look too bad do I? I'm not an old boiler yet.
1998 E. Brimson Hooligan vi. 19 Clive had fallen in love with some sort from Essex and spoke of nothing else. What he didn't realise was that the rest of the lads thought she was a right boiler .
Draft additions June 2007
boilermaker n. North American a shot of whisky followed immediately by (or occasionally combined with) a glass of beer.
Π
1940 K. Kent in Thrilling Wonder Stories Sept. 36/1 ‘Make it a boilermaker, Doc,’ he instructed the inn-keeper, who merely gaped. Pete had to explain what a boilermaker was.
1957 J. Kerouac Let. 8 Nov. in Sel. Lett. 1957–69 (1999) 80 I dragged Gilbert out to a Bowery bar for boilermakers.
2002 S. Turow Reversible Errors (2003) 306 He ordered a boilermaker, but quaffed the beer first.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1887; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
boilerv.
/ˈbɔɪlə/, U.S. /ˈbɔɪlər/ transitive. To furnish (a steamship) with its boiler or boilers.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > shipbuilding and repairing > build a ship [verb (transitive)] > fit out or equip > furnish with boiler(s)
boiler1890
1890 Whitby Times 3 Jan. 4/4 The steamers built and launched at this port have to go elsewhere to be engined and boilered.
Derivatives
ˈboilering n.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > shipbuilding and repairing > [noun] > fitting out or equipping ships > furnishing with boiler(s)
boilering1897
1897 United Service Mag. June 226 The special conditions which..govern the boilering of warships.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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