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

When this anger boiled over, it threatened to scald more than the British.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Leo’s veterinarian said in his case file that he had been losing weight throughout the year and had urine scald, a condition the vet said couldn’t be treated in the lab setting.

From Washington Times • Dec. 13, 2023

“I think people think that a little extra sun will help their plants, but it will scald them because they are only used to being in a protected space,” Venice says.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 21, 2023

It has the potential to be a Disneyland for divorcées, a cathartic country club where you can scald your demons in a hot tub.

From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2022

Casting about with my limbs, I could find no posture that did not scald, and returned, therefore, to my slump.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson