Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Scorch?

\Scorch\, v. i. To ride or drive at great, usually at excessive, speed; -- applied chiefly to automobilists and bicyclists. [Colloq.] -- {Scorch"er}, n. [Colloq.]
\Scorch\ (sk[^o]rch), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scorched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Scorching}.] [OE. scorchen, probably akin to scorcnen; cf. Norw. skrokken shrunk up, skrekka, skr["o]kka, to shrink, to become wrinkled up, dial. Sw. skr[*a]kkla to wrinkle (see {Shrug}); but perhaps influenced by OF. escorchier to strip the bark from, to flay, to skin, F. ['e]corcher, LL. excorticare; L. ex from + cortex, -icis, bark (cf. {Cork}); because the skin falls off when scorched.] 1. To burn superficially; to parch, or shrivel, the surface of, by heat; to subject to so much heat as changes color and texture without consuming; as, to scorch linen. Summer drouth or sing[`e]d air Never scorch thy tresses fair. --Milton. 2. To affect painfully with heat, or as with heat; to dry up with heat; to affect as by heat. Lashed by mad rage, and scorched by brutal fires. --Prior. 3. To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire. Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. --Rev. xvi. 8. The fire that scorches me to death. --Dryden.
\Scorch\, v. i. 1. To be burnt on the surface; to be parched; to be dried up. Scatter a little mungy straw or fern amongst your seedlings, to prevent the roots from scorching. --Mortimer. 2. To burn or be burnt. He laid his long forefinger on the scarlet letter, which forthwith seemed to scorch into Hester's breast, as if it had been red hot. --Hawthorne.