boiling point

noun

1
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
2
a
: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
b
: the point of crisis : head sense 17b
matters had reached the boiling point

Example Sentences

The boiling point of water is 212° Fahrenheit or 100° Celsius. when the situation reached the boiling point, the President had no choice but to order out the National Guard
Recent Examples on the Web But the unrest was reaching a boiling point. Marilyn Berger, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2022 The Chinese military on Sunday staged a massive show of force against Taiwan as provocations between the two territories near a boiling point. Justin Klawans, The Week, 26 Dec. 2022 The mounting failures drove a cadre of pro-Russian military bloggers to a boiling point. Thomas Gibbons-neff, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2022 Dinning is phenomenal as Hazel, the plain, seemingly placid and devoted wife and mother of four adult children, whose simmering rage reaches the boiling point, quite amusingly, after Rose causes the toilet to overflow. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2022 More on what both sides said, and last weekend’s boiling point. Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Oct. 2022 And the fan theories have reached boiling point. Christopher Ceccolini, SPIN, 13 Oct. 2022 To remove alcohol from wine with heat, the wine has to reach a boiling point, at which time alcohol becomes gas and separates from the rest of the liquid. Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2022 This time, tensions have reached a boiling point over the way streaming has steamrolled the industry. Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boiling point.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boiling point was in 1741

Dictionary Entries Near boiling point

Cite this Entry

“Boiling point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boiling%20point. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

boiling point

noun
1
: the temperature at which a liquid boils
2
: the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
3
: the point of crisis

Medical Definition

boiling point

noun
boil·​ing point ˈbȯi-liŋ-ˌpȯint How to pronounce boiling point (audio)
: the temperature at which a liquid boils

More from Merriam-Webster on boiling point

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