charred

[chahrd]

adjective

1. burned or reduced to charcoal.

   Photos provided by the fire department show the charred remains of a sports car.

2. slightly burned; scorched.

   The charred onions add a nice flavor to the pork chops.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of char.

Other Word Forms

• uncharred adjective
• well-charred adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of charred¹

char ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

The whisper of wind in the remaining trees and across the charred earth is often the only sound.

From Los Angeles Times

Federal investigators are helping comb through the charred building for more victims and evidence.

From Salon

In a matter of months, they transformed the heaps of charred rubble into mostly vacant matchbox lots, ready for rebuilding.

From Los Angeles Times

To the north, a sickly orange haze hung along the horizon, a reminder of the inferno that had reduced parts of their school to a ragged tangle of charred masonry, metal and wood.

From Los Angeles Times

A fire broke out in prison, with the authorities finding a charred body that they thought was Bester's.

From BBC

Related Words

• scorched www.thesaurus.com