Plural of boiler: large metal containers that heat water to make steam for powering engines or heating buildings.
From Middle English and Old French boillir meaning 'to boil.' The -er suffix indicates 'something that boils.' Boilers became industrial staples during the steam engine revolution.
The invention of safer boilers in the 1800s was one of the most dangerous engineering challenges ever—early boilers exploded constantly, killing workers, until engineers figured out proper pressure controls!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.