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

I parked on a scalding day in late winter at an outdoor lot in downtown L.A. surrounded by corporate skyscrapers, the sidewalks lined with housing encampments.

From Los Angeles Times

In the shower, I relish the sensation of scalding water against my skin.

From Literature

The title invokes the container for holding scalding liquid metal.

From The Wall Street Journal

“You have to scald the tomatoes and then you smash them!”

From Literature

And then suddenly—WHOOSH—they were out of the scalding heat, out of the roaring, crackling din of the inferno.

From Literature