char

¹ American  

[chahr] / tʃɑr /

verb (used with object)

charred, charring

1. to burn or reduce to charcoal.

   The fire charred the paper.

2. to burn slightly; scorch.

   The flame charred the steak.

   Synonyms:

   sear, singe

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verb (used without object)

charred, charring

1. to become charred.

noun

1. a charred material or surface.

2. charcoal.

3. a superior carbon-rich fuel, a by-product of the conversion of coal into gaseous or liquid fuel.

char ² American  

[chahr] / tʃɑr /

Or charr

noun

plural

char,

plural

chars

1. any trout of the genus Salvelinus (orCristovomer ), especially the Arctic char.

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char ³ American  

[chahr] / tʃɑr /

noun

1. a charwoman.

2. a task, especially a household chore.

3. chars, odd jobs, especially of housework, for which one is paid by the hour or day.

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verb (used without object)

charred, charring

1. to work at housecleaning by the day or hour; hire oneself out to do odd jobs.

verb (used with object)

charred, charring

1. to do (housework, odd jobs, or chores); clean or repair.

char ⁴ American  

[chahr] / tʃɑr /

noun

British Informal.

1. tea.

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Char ⁵ American  

[shar] / ʃar /

noun

1. René 1907–1988, French poet.

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char. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. character.

2. charter.

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char ¹ British  

/ tʃɑː /

verb

1. to burn or be burned partially, esp so as to blacken the surface; scorch

2. (tr) to reduce (wood) to charcoal by partial combustion

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char ² British  

/ tʃɑː /

noun

1. informal short for charwoman

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verb

1. informal to do housework, cleaning, etc, as a job

char ³ British  

/ tʃɑː /

noun

1. any of various troutlike fishes of the genus Salvelinus, esp S. alpinus, occurring in cold lakes and northern seas: family Salmonidae (salmon)

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char ⁴ British  

/ tʃɑː /

noun

1. a slang word for tea

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Etymology

Origin of char¹

First recorded in 1670–80; apparently extracted from charcoal; chark

Origin of char²

First recorded in 1655–65; perhaps unattested Old English ceorra literally, “turner,” derivative of ceorran “to turn,” it being thought of as swimming to and fro time and again; char ³

Origin of char³

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, Old English cerr, cierr “turn, time, occasion, affair,” derivative of cierran “to turn”

Origin of char⁴

First recorded in 1915–20; from Hindi cā “tea” ( tea ); for spelling with r arvo, Parcheesi ( def. )

Example Sentences

A first course of kampachi arrived dressed with arctic char roe, ground cherry, serrano, ponzu, and cucumber — buttery and delicate, with a bright, precise balance that lingered just long enough.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

First Graphene says it works by forming a protective gas barrier, preventing the release of volatile compounds prior to ignition, and also a char layer should ignition occur.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

The smokiness, the char... it just makes everything taste better.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2025

It “conducted extensive tests at various locations within the affected school buildings,” assessing soot, char and ash, the district has said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2025

Over all hangs the cold brume of char, drifting across the water, lying still upon the decks of ships.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• burn