char

[chahr]

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verb (used with object), charred, char·ring.

to burn or reduce to charcoal: The fire charred the paper.
to burn slightly; scorch: The flame charred the steak.

verb (used without object), charred, char·ring.

to become charred.

noun

a charred material or surface.
charcoal.
a superior carbon-rich fuel, a by-product of the conversion of coal into gaseous or liquid fuel.

Origin of char

1670–80; apparently extracted from charcoal; see chark

Synonyms for char

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2. singe, sear.

char

[chahr]Chiefly British

noun

a charwoman.
a task, especially a household chore.
chars, odd jobs, especially of housework, for which one is paid by the hour or day.

verb (used without object), charred, char·ring.

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

verb (used with object), charred, char·ring.

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

Origin of char

1375–1425; late Middle English, Old English cerr, cierr turn, time, occasion, affair, derivative of cierran to turn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for charred

burn, cauterize, singe, carbonize

Examples from the Web for charred

Contemporary Examples of charred

Imagine waking up to find a guy who looks like a tech startup employee eating your charred crispy leg.
The Red Viper, Zoe Barnes, and the Best Fictional Deaths of 2014
Melissa Leon
January 1, 2015
According to reports at the time, their charred corpses were discovered two months later.
Caught: Female Assassin Who Allegedly Murdered Five American Nuns
Barbie Latza Nadeau
September 22, 2014
Like bourbon, rye must be aged in charred oak barrels for at least two years.
Why Rye Is The Nation's Spirit, And Why No One Can Get It
Kayleigh Kulp
July 12, 2014
He reaches in—and pulls out the charred bagel, one half at a time.
‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Fever Dream You Can’t Wake Up From
Andrew Romano
June 29, 2014
Relatives of the dead were forced to collect the charred body parts of their loved ones and transport them to their burial sites.
Six Key Parts of a New Report That May Change Your View on Drones
Abby Haglage
October 22, 2013

Historical Examples of charred

Like his fellow, the Venerian fell to the floor, a heap of charred ashes.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930
Various
He sat up, and, removing his pipe, dashed the charred ashes from its bowl.
The Law-Breakers
Ridgwell Cullum
The leather cushioning around the edge was black and charred.
Two Thousand Miles Below
Charles Willard Diffin
It was charred at one corner as if at some moment it had narrowly escaped the flames.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine
Within, the people could distinguish the charred remains of their proud goddess.
Legends of Wailuku
Charlotte Hapai

British Dictionary definitions for charred

char

verb chars, charring or charred

to burn or be burned partially, esp so as to blacken the surface; scorch
(tr) to reduce (wood) to charcoal by partial combustion

Word Origin for char

C17: short for charcoal

char

charr

noun plural char, chars, charr or charrs

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

Word Origin for char

C17: of unknown origin

char

noun

informal short for charwoman

verb chars, charring or charred

British informal to do housework, cleaning, etc, as a job

Word Origin for char

C18: from Old English cerr

char

⁴

noun

British a slang word for tea

Word Origin for char

from Chinese ch'a

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for charred

char

"to reduce to charcoal," 1670s, probably a back-formation from charcoal (q.v.). Related: Charred; charring.