simmer

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“
Let them simmer -- stirring all the time -- five minutes, then remove from the fire.

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Definitions (16)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (7)

  1. intransitive verb To be cooked gently or remain just at or below the boiling point.
  2. intransitive verb To be filled with pent-up emotion; seethe.
  3. intransitive verb To be in a state of gentle ferment: thoughts simmering in the back of her mind.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (5)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

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Examples (50)

  • She was a-simmer, her skin heated and skittering, aching for his touch. —  Anthology - My Scandalous Bride
  • I'll put one on the fire to simmer, as soon as today's script is out of the way. —  Murder Can Be Fun
  • Heat milk to a simmer, along with the vanilla, and set aside. —  Latest News
  • Heat the cream in a small pan until is just begins to simmer -- (or in a large measuring cup, microwave in increments of 15 seconds until almost hot, but not beginning to boil.) —  Sass & Veracity
  • Stir in the half-and-half and bring just to a simmer, then remove from the heat. —  The Daily News Tribune Homepage RSS
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This word has been looked up 173 times.

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Used in the same contextWord Family

simmer:   simmering ·  simmered
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Alteration of Middle English simpire, to simmer, probably of imitative origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also simber and simper, early modern English symper (see simper); a freq. form of sim, from Swedish dial. summa, hum, buzz, =Danish summe =Middle Low German summen =G. summen, hum; cf. Hind, sumsum, sunsun, sansan, the crackling of moist wood when burning, simmering: an imitative word, like hum, and bum, boom.
  2. from simmer, v.
 

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/ˈsɪmər/
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