double boiler

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ˈdou•ble ˈboil•er, n. [countable]

1. a utensil consisting of two pots, one of which fits partway into the other;
   water is boiled in the lower pot to cook or warm food in the upper.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

dou′ble boil′er, 

1. a utensil consisting of two pots, one of which fits partway into the other: water is boiled in the lower pot to cook or warm food or melt a substance in the upper.

• 1875–80, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

double boiler noun

1. a cooking utensil consisting of two saucepans, one fitting inside the other. The bottom saucepan contains water that, while boiling, gently heats food in the upper pan
   Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): double saucepan