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• char
  char

  verb (used with object)

  to burn or reduce to charcoal.
• Char
  Char

  noun

  René 1907–1988, French poet.
• char.
  char.

  abbreviation

  character.

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

char, plural chars plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• char
  plural
• chars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of char¹

First recorded in 1670–80; apparently extracted from charcoal; see 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; see 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” ( see tea); for spelling with r cf. arvo, Parcheesi ( def. )

Explanation

To char is to burn or blacken something so that it’s like charcoal but still tasty. A char is something that has been burned in this way. To char is to burn something on the outside. If you've ever eaten a hot dog or hamburger cooked over an open flame, it was charred. Many people like the taste of char-grilled meat. To char doesn’t usually mean to burn all the way, just enough to blacken. Unfortunately, char can also mean to reduce to charcoal — if there's a house fire, couches and chairs could be charred. Not so delicious.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

char Char chars charred charring

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

You burn it and char it, and you use it to build fences or whatever it is you’re trying to build.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025

Because jacarandas across the county sustained significant bark char and crown damage, L.A.’s purple bloom was down some patches this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2025

The loaves would bake and the little piece would char.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Practically, when it comes to invasion, the PLA is "still hampered by the limited number of amphibious combined arms brigades" it currently has, said NTU's Char.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

“We know the disparities exist, but they become shockingly obvious,” said Char Miller, an environmental analysis professor at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026

Most known for its char kway teow, a wok-fried noodle dish with egg, shrimp, Chinese sausage and a hint of spice, head to Left-handed Char Koay Teow or Goggles Man Char Kuey Teow.

From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2025

Char Miller, a professor of environmental history at Pomona College and author of “Burn Scars,” a history of U.S. wildfire suppression, said new development was the “spark plug” for many of the region’s fires.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2025

Char stays cool, for once, and she and the twins start walking ahead of Miss Saunders and me.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake

Avcoat is a mix of silica fibers, phenolic microballoons, and epoxy resin that chars and erodes, removing heat away.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

For example, cooking a steak over a high heat, especially an open flame, chars the outside.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2023

The meat, usually chicken or lamb threaded on skewers, chars beautifully.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 17, 2023

The governor recently visited Washington to talk with top officials about wildfire recovery as the largest blaze burning in the U.S. chars more tinder dry forest in northern New Mexico.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 15, 2022

This contrivance is far simpler than a dip- candle, the arachis is broken off as it chars, and, when the lamp dims, turning it upside down causes a fresh flow of oil.

From Two Trips to Gorilla Land and the Cataracts of the Congo Volume 2 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Though the surrounding hillside was blackened and charred, the town of Cotignac was undamaged and the Barnes' family home left intact.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Skies over Le Porge turned orange as smoke rose from charred and crackling pine trees, while helicopters made repeated runs over deserted neighbourhoods.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

The creamy, savory sauce pairs beautifully with both the meat and the charred vegetables.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

KYIV, Ukraine—The scent from flower stalls mixes with the charred smell of a bombed-out mall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The ceilings of some of the rooms in Montclair bore charred, black circles, in mute testimony to his intrepidity as an exploder.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Modelling suggests this should reduce the heating and loads that caused extra charring, but this will be the first time the revised descent is flown with a crew.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

An unlikely, spicy, crunchy retooling of spaghetti with chili-spiked tomato sauce, it requires cooking the pasta and the sauce in the same pan, to the point of charring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025

As quickly as the Sunset fire started charring through Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, an AI-generated photo of the Hollywood sign ablaze was rapidly circulating on social media.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025

I also love charring sautéed vegetables on high heat with soy sauce, using that nice, charred aroma to flavor them.

From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2024

She repeats this process over and over, working until the cloth burns without charring, remaining bright and white within the flame.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• burn