student asking question

What does "up to the boil" mean? Is it an idiom?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Up to the boil" means to bring water up to a very high temperature. The temperature is so hot that it makes the water bubble. This would be 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This phrase is not considered an idiom. There are idioms where "boil" is used such as "makes my blood boil." This idiom means to be very angry. Ex: We need to bring the water up to a boil to make hard-boiled eggs. Ex: Bring the water up to the boil, then place your noodles into the water.

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