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 flanges for two boilers on that floor were not properly tightened following a pressure test in November 2020, BGE wrote in its lawsuit against Rand. —Madeleine O'Neill, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2024

Federal dollars will help replace natural gas boilers with electric heat pumps and will pay for installation of energy-efficient LED lights. —Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 25 May 2024

Recent upgrades to the property include six new high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners, new humidifiers, a new boiler, a new hot water storage tank, $100,000 in window and door upgrades and about $20,000 in electrical updates, and the elevator was serviced and certified in 2022. —Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 14 Apr. 2024

As do the teachers who come to school early and stay late, the cafeteria workers laboring in front of gas stoves, and janitorial staff working in the basements with decades-old, oil-burning boilers. —Anya Kamenetz, New York Daily News, 3 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing boiler

• boiler room
• double boiler
• steam boiler

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