- burn
- burn vb Burn, scorch, char, sear, singe mean to injure by exposure to fire or intense heat.Burn is the most comprehensive of these terms, for it is applicable regardless of the extent of injury or of whether fire or heat is the destructive agency{
the cake was burned to a crisp in the oven
}{only the lower edge of his coat was burned by the flames
}{the grass was badly burned by the sun
}{the child burned his hand by touching the hot stove
}Burn is also applicable when a similar injury or effect is produced by another agency{burn plants by using too strong a fertilizer
}{a sharp wind burns the face
}Scorch implies superficial burning that changes the color (especially to brown or black) or texture of something{scorch a dress in ironing it
}{the paint of the house was badly scorched by the flames from the grass fire
}Char usually implies total or partial reduction to carbon or charcoal by fire{charred wood
}{char coffee beans in roasting them
}{the lower parts of the rafters were charred in the fire
}Sear applies basically to the burning or scorching of animal tissues by fire or intense heat (as in cauterizing a wound, branding an animal, or quickly browning the outside of meats so that they will retain their juices in later and slower cooking){seared the damaged tissue with an electric needle
}{many cooks still sear beef before roasting it
}Singe implies a very superficial burning{the fire next door merely singed our house
}Sometimes such burning is intentional, especially when the short hairs or bristles covering a carcass being prepared for market or for cooking are quickly destroyed by a flame{singe a chicken before broiling it
}
New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.
