verb
1. be the essential element (Freq. 1)
-
The proposal boils down to a compromise
• Verb Frames:
-
Something is ——ing PP
2. be cooked until very little liquid is left
-
The sauce should reduce to one cup
• Syn: ↑reduce, ↑decoct, ↑concentrate
• Derivationally related forms: ↑concentration (for: ↑concentrate), ↑concentrate (for: ↑concentrate)
• Topics: ↑cooking, ↑cookery, ↑preparation
• Verb Frames:
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Something ——s
3. cook until very little liquid is left
-
The cook reduced the sauce by boiling it for a long time
• Syn: ↑reduce, ↑concentrate
• Derivationally related forms: ↑concentration (for: ↑concentrate), ↑concentrate (for: ↑concentrate)
• Topics: ↑cooking, ↑cookery, ↑preparation
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
* * *
boil down [phrasal verb]
1 a : to become reduced in amount by boiling
Let the sauce boil down and thicken.
1 b boil (something) down or boil down (something) : to reduce the amount of (a liquid) by boiling it
Boil down the sauce so that it thickens.
2 boil (something) down or boil down (something) : to make (something) short or simple by removing the parts that are not important or necessary
He was able to boil down [=condense] the report to a brief summary.
His speech boiled down to [=was basically] a plea for more money.
Their objections all boil down to one thing: cost.
You can get advice from many sources, but it all boils down to common sense. [=you should be guided by common sense]
• • •
Main Entry: ↑boil
* * *
ˌboil ˈdown | ˌboil sthˈdown derived
to be reduced or to reduce sth by boiling
Useful english dictionary. 2012.