alt Hacker News> the water is boiling.
Not necessarily. It might refer to heating water to bring it to a boil.
Q. What are you doing over there?
A. Oh, just boiling water.
> the water is boiling.
Not necessarily. It might refer to heating water to bring it to a boil.
Q. What are you doing over there?
A. Oh, just boiling water.
That's using it as a [verb] [noun], not a gerund. If you are using it as a open compound word (or a gerund) - the "boiling water" IS in a boiling state.