scorch

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)tʃ

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

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

transitive To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
transitive To wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire, especially to make land or buildings unusable to an enemy Lashed by mad rage, and scorched by brutal fires.
ergative (To cause) to become scorched or singed
intransitive To move at high speed (so as to leave scorch marks on the ground, physically or figuratively). Men on cycles, lean-faced, unkempt, scorched along every country lane, shouting of unhoped deliverance, shouting to gaunt, staring figures of despair.
To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire. Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
transitive To attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence.
colloquial, dated, intransitive To ride a bicycle furiously on a public highway. I may not scorch on thee again—thou'rt pinched, my silent steed!