Scorchings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Extremely high temperatures that cause intense heat or burning effects, often associated with harsh climates or droughts
2. The act of subjecting to such heat that surfaces become charred or changed in color and texture
3. An instance of relentless heat that causes significant discomfort or damage to the environment or living organisms

Etymology: "Scorchings" is the plural of "scorching," which is itself the form of the verb "scorch" used as a noun or adjective. The plural form simply treats each intense blast of heat as a separate event, much as "burnings" or "beatings" do. The verb "scorch" is a much older word, and its sense of drying or burning the surface of something with heat is the root of the whole family. From that basic idea of heat that browns or blackens, the English language built up the adjective "scorching," used for weather or sun hot enough to wither plants, and eventually the plural noun that names such spells of heat.

Synonyms: burnings, heatings

Antonyms: coolings