scorch
UK: skɔːtʃ | US: skɔːrtʃ
vt. to burn the surface of something lightly, discoloring or damaging it
vi. to become slightly burned or dried out
n. a slight burn or discoloration caused by heat
The word "scorch" originates from Middle English scorchen, likely derived from Old Norse skorpna ("to shrivel") or related to Old English sceorfan ("to gnaw or scrape"). The core idea revolves around superficial burning or drying, preserving the original sense of surface-level damage. The modern spelling and meaning stabilized in the 14th century, emphasizing light burns (e.g., grass scorched by sun). The morpheme "scor" retains its fiery connotation, while the suffix "-ch" marks it as a verb.
The sun scorched the fields during the drought.
Be careful not to scorch the fabric while ironing.
His criticism scorched her reputation.
The toast was slightly scorched at the edges.
Wildfires scorched thousands of acres in the region.