scorch
verbEtymology From Middle English scorchen, scorcnen (“to make dry; parch”), perhaps an alteration of earlier *scorpnen, from Old Norse skorpna (“to shrivel up”).
7 senses
- 1To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
- 2To wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire…
- 3(To cause) to become scorched or singed
- 4To move at high speed (so as to leave scorch marks on…
- 5To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire.
- 6To attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence.
- 7To ride a bicycle furiously on a public highway.
1
To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
2
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.1709, Matthew Prior, Pleasure:
3
Ergative (To cause) to become scorched or singed
4
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.1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 289:
- England delivered an impressive statement of intent in the Rugby World Cup opener by scorching to a 69-7 victory against the United States in front of a record crowd of 42,723 in Sunderland.2025 August 22, Mike Henson, “England open World Cup with 11-try win over USA”, in BBC Sport:
5
To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire.
- Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 16:8:
- the fire that scorches me to death1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
6
To attack with bitter sarcasm or virulence.
7
Colloquial, Dated To ride a bicycle furiously on a public highway.
- I may not scorch on thee again—thou'rt pinched, my silent steed!1897, “The scorcher's farewell to his steed”, in Edmond Redmond, editor, Lyra Cyclus […] , Rochester, NY, page 59:
- Related terms
- livid