From Webster's dictionary:
Main Entry:
1boil
Pronunciation: \ˈbȯi(-ə)l\
Function:
verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French
buillir, boillir, from Latin
bullire to bubble, from
bulla bubble
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb 1 a : to come to the boiling point
b : to generate bubbles of vapor when heated —used of a liquid
c : to cook in boiling water
2 : to become agitated
: seethe
3 : to be moved, excited, or stirred up
4 a : to rush headlong
b : to burst forth
5 : to undergo the action of a boiling liquid
transitive verb 1 : to subject to the action of a boiling liquid
2 : to heat to the boiling point
3 : to form or separate (as sugar or salt) by boiling
Poach -
Main Entry:
1poach
Pronunciation: \ˈpōch\
Function:
transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English
pocchen, from Middle French
pocher, from Old French
poché poached, literally, bagged, from
poche bag, pocket — more at
pouch
Date: 15th century
Simmer -
Main Entry:
1sim·mer
Pronunciation: \ˈsi-mər\
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
sim·mered;
sim·mer·ing \ˈsi-mə-riŋ, ˈsim-riŋ\
Etymology: alteration of English dial.
simper, from Middle English
simperen, of imitative origin
Date: 1653
intransitive verb 1 : to stew gently below or just at the boiling poin
And so we see by the above accepted standard definitions, to simmer is to cook something in water at just below, or at the boiling point.
Typically, in cooking terminology, the noun form of simmer is synonomous with - gentle boil - while boil in either noun of verb form are used to describe a medium boil. Hard and rapid boil are the same thing.
Another interesting term is coddled, as in coddled egg. This is where an egg in placed in water exceeding 175 F, but less than 212 F. The water is hot enough to set the egg white and yolk, but doesn't move. This allows the coddled egg to retain cohesive rather than breaking apart from moving water. It could be said that the egg strands in egg-crop soup are a form of coddled egg.
It is also interesting to note that meat that is boiled, or even simmered can dry out from overcooking, while poaching the meat in temperatures not exceeding 160' will cook, but not dry out the meat. If the meat is placed into an air-tight evacuated plastic bag, and immersed in water between 145 and 160' F., this is called sou-vide and is a great way to create a tender product. Unfortunately, you won't get any browning, and the rich flavor that the browning imparts to the meat.
I do tend to go on sometimes. I think I'll go to another thread now.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North