Scald

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /skɔld/

Definitions

1. To cause a burn by contact with hot liquid or steam ; a burn injury resulting from exposure to hot liquid or steam
2. To inflict injury through exposure to boiling or very hot fluid ; an injury characterized by damaged skin due to heat from a liquid or steam
3. To subject something or someone to hot liquid or steam that causes injury ; a type of burn marked by redness and pain caused by hot liquids or steam

Etymology: The English verb "scald" comes from Middle English "scalden," which most scholars trace to Old Northern French "escalder," itself from Late Latin "excaldāre," meaning "bathe in hot water." That Latin word is built from "ex-," meaning "off" or "out," and "caldus," meaning "hot," so the original sense was essentially to wash something thoroughly in heat. The same "cal-" root sits behind Latin "calidus" and, through Latin "caleō," gives us words such as "calorie" and "calefy." The word has a second, unexpected relative on the other side of the family. Old Norse "skálda" meant "to rot" or "fall off," especially of hair, and it produced the Middle English noun "scalle," a scabby hair disease. Modern English "scall" comes from that source, and "scald" may have been reshaped by it, since the two forms ran together in English and sound alike. Old Swedish, Danish and Icelandic have related verbs with similar sounds and meanings, so the Germanic side of the word seems to have been mixing with the Latin-derived French borrowing for centuries.

Synonyms: burn, singe, char, heat, blister

Antonyms: cool, soothe, calm, comfort, heal