scorch
pronunciation
How to pronounce scorch in British English:
UK [skɔːtʃ]
How to pronounce scorch in American English:
US [skɔːrtʃ]
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- Noun:
- a surface burn
- a plant disease that produces a browning or scorched appearance of plant tissues
- a discoloration caused by heat
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- Verb:
- make very hot and dry
- become superficially burned
- destroy completely by or as if by fire
- burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
- become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions
Word Origin
- scorch (v.)
- "to burn superficially or slightly, but so as to change the color or injure the texture," early 14c., perhaps an alteration of scorrcnenn "make dry, parch" (c. 1200), of obscure origin, perhaps from Old Norse skorpna "to be shriveled," cognate with Old English scrimman "to shrink, dry up." Or perhaps from Old French escorchier "to strip off the skin," from Vulgar Latin excorticare "to flay," from ex- (see ex-) + Latin cortex (genitive corticis) "cork;" but OED finds this not likely. Scorched earth military strategy is 1937, translation of Chinese jiaotu, used against the Japanese in a bid to stem their advance into China.
Example
- 1. Masks protect the eyes , which can scorch in the cave 's heat .
- 2. The maid scorch the shirt in ironing it .
- 3. I could not wash away the mark of the scorch .
- 4. Adidas men 's scorch 7 fly low .
- 5. The drink was strong and it seemed to scorch my throat .