Charring

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The method of applying intense heat to an object causing it to turn black and become charred
2. The process of burning the surface of a material until it becomes blackened or partially burnt
3. Applying high heat to an object's exterior to create a blackened, carbonized layer

Etymology: The verb "to char" is a back-formation from "charcoal," meaning the process was named after the fuel rather than the other way round. Charcoal itself was the older word, so the verb grew out of a noun that already described the blackened, burnt-down material. "Charring" simply names the act of scorching something until it turns black and brittle, and the same process gives us the charcoal the word started from. The verb's ancestry is more uncertain. Some scholars suggest a Celtic source, such as Irish "ceara" meaning "fiery red," which survives in personal names. Others propose a link to Middle Low German "schar," a word for a flounder or dab, which in turn connects to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to cut," and would tie it to "shard." Neither theory is settled, so the exact origin remains open.

Synonyms: burning, scorching, blackening, singeing, toasting

Antonyms: cooling, soothing, calming, refreshing, quenching