scorch

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A slight or surface burn.
2. (countable, uncountable) A discolouration caused by heat.
3. (countable, uncountable) Brown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi.

Verb

1. (transitive) To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
2. (transitive) To wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire, especially to make land or buildings unusable to an enemy
3. (ergative) (To cause) to become scorched or singed
4. (intransitive) To move at high speed (so as to leave scorch marks on the ground, physically or figuratively).
5. To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire.
6. (transitive) To attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence.
7. (colloquial, dated, intransitive) To ride a bicycle furiously on a public highway.

Synonyms

burn

singe

sear

parch

char

roast

broil

scald

toast

blacken

burn down

cauterise

fire

🔥

wither

bake

warm

☀️

torch

heat

burn up

fry

dry up

dry

swinge

revile

scratch

clobber

clapperclaw

chide

bring up

comb

bite

chastise

brand

cauterize

haze

blow up

berate

barbecue

catch fire

get at

cant

blow

get after

glow

grill

growl

call down

fritter away

heat up

blaze

Translations

bruciare

roussir

scottare

chamuscar

brûler

versengen

brûlure

bruciacchiare

bruciacchiatura

bruler

scottatura

verbrennen

Brandfleck

carboniser

bruciatura

Pronounced as (IPA)

/skɔːtʃ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: scorchen

In summary

From Middle English scorchen, scorcnen (“to make dry; parch”), perhaps an alteration of earlier *scorpnen, from Old Norse skorpna (“to shrivel up”).