Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Definition for PAR-BOIL
PAR'A-VANT, or PAR'A-VAUNTPAR'BOIL-ED
PAR-BOIL, v.t. [Fr. parbouillir. Bouillir is to boil, and in Arm. porbollen is a pustule or little push.]
- To boil in part; to boil in a moderate degree.
- To cause little vesicles on the skin by means of heat; as, parboiled wretches. – Donne.
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