char1
[chahr]
- to burn or reduce to charcoal: The fire charred the paper.
- to burn slightly; scorch: The flame charred the steak.
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- to become charred.
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- a charred material or surface.
- charcoal.
- a superior carbon-rich fuel, a by-product of the conversion of coal into gaseous or liquid fuel.
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Origin of char1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for char on Thesaurus.com2. singe, sear.
char3
[chahr]Chiefly British
- a charwoman.
- a task, especially a household chore.
- chars, odd jobs, especially of housework, for which one is paid by the hour or day.
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- to work at housecleaning by the day or hour; hire oneself out to do odd jobs.
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- to do (housework, odd jobs, or chores); clean or repair.
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Origin of char3
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
Examples from the Web for charred
Contemporary Examples
Imagine waking up to find a guy who looks like a tech startup employee eating your charred crispy leg.
According to reports at the time, their charred corpses were discovered two months later.
Caught: Female Assassin Who Allegedly Murdered Five American NunsBarbie Latza Nadeau
September 22, 2014
Like bourbon, rye must be aged in charred oak barrels for at least two years.
He reaches in—and pulls out the charred bagel, one half at a time.
Relatives of the dead were forced to collect the charred body parts of their loved ones and transport them to their burial sites.
Historical Examples
Like his fellow, the Venerian fell to the floor, a heap of charred ashes.
He sat up, and, removing his pipe, dashed the charred ashes from its bowl.
The Law-BreakersRidgwell Cullum
The leather cushioning around the edge was black and charred.
Two Thousand Miles BelowCharles Willard Diffin
It was charred at one corner as if at some moment it had narrowly escaped the flames.
The Shadow of a CrimeHall Caine
Within, the people could distinguish the charred remains of their proud goddess.
Legends of WailukuCharlotte Hapai
char1
- to burn or be burned partially, esp so as to blacken the surface; scorch
- (tr) to reduce (wood) to charcoal by partial combustion
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Word Origin
C17: short for charcoal
char2
charr
- 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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Word Origin
C17: of unknown origin
char3
- informal short for charwoman
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- British informal to do housework, cleaning, etc, as a job
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Word Origin
C18: from Old English cerr
char4
- British a slang word for tea
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Word Origin
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
v.
"to reduce to charcoal," 1670s, probably a back-formation from charcoal (q.v.). Related: Charred; charring.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper