boiler

noun

boil·​er ˈbȯi-lər 

1

: one that boils

2

a

: a vessel used for boiling

b

: the part of a steam generator in which water is converted into steam and which consists usually of metal shells and tubes

c

: a tank in which water is heated or hot water is stored

d

chiefly British : furnace

Examples of boiler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The general assumption is that filling a reactor with uranium and plutonium is like shoveling coal into a boiler furnace – a straightforward operation that, in the case of nuclear, is just a bit more involved. —New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2025

The project would be a joint venture with the paper company to attach carbon capture to the mill's boiler stack and pipeline the CO2 to sequestration sites. —Ben Geman, Axios, 11 Apr. 2025

The broadcaster also said the model shows indicates the boilers were still operating as they were submerged, backing eyewitness accounts that Titanic boilermen continued shoveling coal to provide power for lighting even as the ship was sinking, dooming themselves but likely saving many others. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

Building failures, from malfunctioning boilers and coolers to plumbing and roof leaks, are increasingly occurring, some of them during high-profile medical and tech conventions, the most recent just a couple of months ago. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing boiler

• boiler room
• double boiler
• steam boiler

Rhymes for boiler

• broiler
• oiler
• spoiler
• toiler
• reboiler

Kids Definition

boiler

noun

boil·​er ˈbȯi-lər 

1

: a container in which something is boiled

2

: a strong metal container used in making steam

3

: a tank in which water is heated or hot water is stored