English

Alternative forms

• potboiler, pot-boiler

Noun

pot boiler ‎(plural pot boilers)

1. (mildly derogatory) A creative work of low quality (book, art, etc), produced merely to earn a living or for profit, as opposed to serious creative expression.
   • 1925, Florence Scovel Shinn, from The Game of Life and how to play it

     No man is a success in business unless he loves his work. The picture the artist paints for love is his greatest work. The pot-boiler is always something to live down.

2. (archeology) A stone used to transfer heat from a fire into a vessel of water, so as to heat the contents.

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