scald

¹ American  

[skawld] / skɔld /

verb (used with object)

1. to burn or affect painfully with or as if with hot liquid or steam.

2. to subject to the action of boiling or hot liquid.

3. to heat to a temperature just short of the boiling point.

   to scald milk.

4. to parboil or blanch (fruit, vegetables, etc.).

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verb (used without object)

1. to be or become scalded.

noun

1. a burn caused by the action of hot liquid or steam.

2. any similar condition, especially as the result of too much heat or sunlight.

3. Plant Pathology.

   1. a blanching of the epidermis and adjacent tissues, which turn pale or dark brown, caused by extreme heat or sun exposure.

   2. a condition resembling scald caused by improper conditions of growth or storage, as in apples, or by fungi, as in cranberries.

scald ² American  

[skawld] / skɔld /

adjective

1. Also scalled scabby; covered with scurf.

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noun

1. a scab.

scald ¹ British  

/ skɔːld /

verb

1. to burn or be burnt with or as if with hot liquid or steam

2. (tr) to subject to the action of boiling water, esp so as to sterilize

3. (tr) to heat (a liquid) almost to boiling point

4. (tr) to plunge (tomatoes, peaches, etc) into boiling water briefly in order to skin them more easily

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noun

1. the act or result of scalding

2. an abnormal condition in plants, characterized by discoloration and wrinkling of the skin of the fruits, caused by exposure to excessive sunlight, gases, etc

scald ² British  

/ skɔːld /

adjective

1. scabby

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noun

1. a scab or a skin disease producing scabs

scald ³ British  

/ skɔːld /

noun

1. a variant spelling of skald

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Other Word Forms

• nonscalding adjective
• scalder noun
• unscalded adjective
• unscalding adjective

Etymology

Origin of scald¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb scalde(n), scolde(n), from Anglo-Latin scal(a)dāre, escaudāre, and Old French eschalder, eschauder, from Late Latin excaldāre “to wash in hot water”; ex- ¹, caldarium

Origin of scald²

First recorded in 1490–1500; scall + -ed ³

Example Sentences

The windows were leaky, which means big trouble in North Dakota’s frigid winters and scalding summers.

From Salon

Then she very nearly scalded herself in the newfangled bathtub, and had to be lifted out red faced and yelling by two terrified ladies’ maids.

From Literature

She says she did not pursue a complaint because she feared that being a junior member of the team, "chances were, I'd be booted off the production, and he may have only got a scalding".

From BBC

On a particularly scalding summer day, my friend wanted Chinese food, so I opted to get fried tofu with mixed vegetables and white rice delivered.

From Salon

To commit myself to the hours of driving and parking and asking questions and making sure that various shower heads expelled the scalding hot water I required.

From Los Angeles Times