scorch

/skɔ:tʃ/

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The word "scorch" can be understood both as a noun and a verb, and it relates to the effects of heat on various materials or living things. Here’s a simple explanation for new English learners:

Definition:

1. As a noun:

   • Scorch (noun): A discoloration or damage caused by heat. For example, when something gets too hot, it might change color or get burned. It can also refer to a plant disease that makes leaves look brown and dry.

2. As a verb:

   • Scorch (verb): To burn something slightly or to make it very hot and dry. This can happen to food when it's overcooked, or to land that is exposed to intense heat.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "scorch" when talking about burning or damaging something with heat. For example, if you leave toast in the toaster for too long, you might say, "I scorched my toast."

Examples:

• Noun: "The scorch on the wall was caused by the fireworks."
• Verb: "Be careful not to scorch the meat on the grill."

Advanced Usage:

• In literature or more advanced contexts, "scorch" can describe intense situations or damage beyond physical burning. For example: "The wildfire scorched the landscape, leaving nothing but ashes."

Word Variants:

• Scorched (adjective): Describes something that has been burned or damaged by heat. For example, "The scorched earth was a result of the drought."
• Scorching (adjective): Describes something extremely hot. For example, "The scorching sun made everyone seek shade."

Different Meanings:

• Scorch (noun) can also refer to a type of damage that affects plants, where they appear dry and brown due to lack of water or disease.

Synonyms:

• For the verb "scorch":
  • Singe
  • Burn
  • Char
• For the noun "scorch":
  • Burn mark
  • Discoloration

Idioms:

There aren’t specific idioms that use "scorch," but you might hear phrases like "scorched earth," which refers to a strategy of destroying everything in a particular area to prevent the enemy from using it.

Phrasal Verbs:

There are no common phrasal verbs that directly use "scorch," but you might encounter phrases like "scorch the earth," which means to destroy everything in a particular area, often used in military contexts.

Summary:

In summary, "scorch" is a versatile word that describes the effects of heat, either as damage or as a process.

Academic

Noun

1. a discoloration caused by heat
2. a plant disease that produces a browning or scorched appearance of plant tissues
3. a surface burn

Verb

1. become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions
   • The exposed tree scorched in the hot sun
2. burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
   • The cook blackened the chicken breast
   • The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece
   • the flames scorched the ceiling
3. destroy completely by or as if by fire
   • The wildfire scorched the forest and several homes
   • the invaders scorched the land
4. become superficially burned
   • my eyebrows singed when I bent over the flames
5. make very hot and dry
   • The heat scorched the countryside

Synonyms

• singe
• char
• blacken
• sear