Torrefies

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Subjects a substance such as coffee beans or grain to intense heat until it browns and dries ; scorches or parches material thoroughly with fire
2. Roasts a material over high heat so that it becomes dry and lightly charred ; dries out and browns something through prolonged exposure to high temperatures
3. Exposes organic matter to strong heat until it is scorched and desiccated ; reduces something to a dry, browned state by firing it at high temperature

Etymology: "Torrefies" is the third-person singular present form of "torrefy", meaning to roast or parch something, especially to dry it by heat until it is brittle or to roast coffee, cocoa or grain. The verb comes from Latin "torrefacere", built from "torrere", to parch or scorch, and "facere", to make, so the literal sense is "to make dry by heat". English took the word from Latin "torrefaciō", the first-person present form that the Latin verb's dictionary entry is based on. The word is a straightforward Latin compound, and its history is largely one of technical use. Its core idea of drying out by heat has stayed constant from Latin through to modern English, which is why it appears in both pharmaceutical and food-processing contexts where something must be scorched or dehydrated before further use.

Synonyms: roast, parch, toast

Antonyms: chill, cool