parboil
verb
par·boil
ˈpär-ˌbȯi(-ə)l 
parboiled; parboiling; parboils
: to boil briefly as a preliminary or incomplete cooking procedure
Examples of parboil in a Sentence
Parboil the potatoes before you roast them.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
While some water-soluble nutrients may be lost during this process, parboiling can reduce phytic acid (an antinutrient), which may help improve the availability of certain nutrients.10
3.
—Joy Emeh, Health, 9 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
All was topped with juicy (not chewy) shrimp, parboiled pieces of asparagus, and a blend of five Italian cheeses.
—Betty Gold Kider, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Aug. 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
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Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
While some water-soluble nutrients may be lost during this process, parboiling can reduce phytic acid (an antinutrient), which may help improve the availability of certain nutrients.10
3.
—Joy Emeh, Health, 9 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
All was topped with juicy (not chewy) shrimp, parboiled pieces of asparagus, and a blend of five Italian cheeses.
—Betty Gold Kider, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Aug. 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
Cite this Entry
“Parboil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parboil. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parboil
verb
par·boil
ˈpär-ˌbȯil
: to boil briefly usually before cooking in another manner
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