scald
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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scalds,
present (3rd person singular)
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scalded,
past participle, past
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scalding
present participle
-
to burn or affect painfully with or as if with hot liquid or steam.
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to subject to the action of boiling or hot liquid.
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to heat to a temperature just short of the boiling point.
to scald milk.
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to parboil or blanch (fruit, vegetables, etc.).
verb (used without object)
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scalds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scalded,
past participle, past
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scalding
present participle
noun
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a burn caused by the action of hot liquid or steam.
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any similar condition, especially as the result of too much heat or sunlight.
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Plant Pathology.
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a blanching of the epidermis and adjacent tissues, which turn pale or dark brown, caused by extreme heat or sun exposure.
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a condition resembling scald caused by improper conditions of growth or storage, as in apples, or by fungi, as in cranberries.
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adjective
noun
verb
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to burn or be burnt with or as if with hot liquid or steam
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(tr) to subject to the action of boiling water, esp so as to sterilize
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(tr) to heat (a liquid) almost to boiling point
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(tr) to plunge (tomatoes, peaches, etc) into boiling water briefly in order to skin them more easily
noun
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the act or result of scalding
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an abnormal condition in plants, characterized by discoloration and wrinkling of the skin of the fruits, caused by exposure to excessive sunlight, gases, etc
adjective
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scaldsimple
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scaldssimple
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have scaldedperfect
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has scaldedperfect
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am scaldingprogressive
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are scaldingprogressive
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is scaldingprogressive
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have been scaldingperfect progressive
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has been scaldingperfect progressive
Past
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scaldedsimple
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had scaldedperfect
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was scaldingprogressive
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were scaldingprogressive
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had been scaldingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see origin at ex- 1, caldarium
Origin of scald2
Explanation
You could scald yourself if your bathwater is too hot. To scald something is to burn it with hot liquid. However, if a recipe tells you to “scald the milk,” it means to heat it to the moment just before it boils. The verb scald comes from the Late Latin word excaldare, meaning “bathe in hot water.” For example, if you scald a tomato in boiling water for one minute, it will be easy to peel. In medieval times, or any era when people protected their castles by pouring hot oil from the turrets, they scalded their enemies. Nice.
Vocabulary lists containing scald
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
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Blanch, Poach, and Scald: Cooking Methods
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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I eat it standing, careful not to scald my tongue.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
If they get a burn or scald that is very large or deep, is on the face, genitals or bottom, the NHS advises to contact your nearest A&E or to call 999.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
When this anger boiled over, it threatened to scald more than the British.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
He noted a major concern was the overheating asphalt, which could scald paws.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 10, 2024
I take a big gulp of hot tea myself, scald my mouth, and swallow hard.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Sy Baumgartner, a 70-year-old professor of philosophy at Princeton, scalds his hand at the stove.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
Staff nurse John Davies said the burns centre saw 20-30 patients with scalds from hot water bottles every year.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2022
One twin falls down the crumbling stairs of her Calcutta house and breaks her ankle; the other scalds her thigh on a tipped cup of coffee in a European station.
From The New Yorker ● May 2, 2016
While scalds and falls on tile can inflict serious harm in the bathroom, modern kitchen appliances and gadgets offer many more opportunities for injury.
From New York Times ● Aug. 19, 2013
The day in and day out of needle pricks, scalds, and raw-skinned hands from cooking and scrubbing was wearing on me.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
The award harks back to civil court judgments against McDonald’s after a jury in 1994 awarded $3 million to an Albuquerque woman who was scalded by hot coffee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2025
However, another called it a "vey good decision", saying they had always been "nervous" that they would be scalded.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2024
He worked the first three innings scoreless, allowing a scalded double to Yordan Alvarez in the first inning for the only hit.
From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2024
An estimated 100,000 children scalded yearly by hot food and beverages.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2023
Of course, every cat behaved like that, but all the same Will felt such a longing for home that tears scalded his eyes.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
The title invokes the container for holding scalding liquid metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
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 ● Jul. 8, 2025
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 ● May 21, 2025
Though the ground around hydrothermal areas may appear solid, it is often fragile with scalding water lurking just below the surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024
He swept through the spacious, echoing lobby of the building in a temper of scalding and vindictive resentment.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
