Scorch
Scorch (skôrch) , transitive verb
[Old English scorchen, probably akin to scorcnen; compare Norw. skrokken shrunk up, skrekka, skrokka, to shrink, to become wrinkled up, dial. Swedish skråkkla to wrinkle (see Shrug); but perhaps influenced by Old French escorchier to strip the bark from, to flay, to skin, French écorcher, Late Latin excorticare; Latin ex from + cortex, -icis, bark (compare Cork); because the skin falls off when scorched.]
1.
To burn superficially; to parch, or shrivel, the surface of, by heat; to subject to so much heat as changes color and texture without consuming; as, to scorch linen.
Summer drouth or singèd air
Never scorch thy tresses fair.
2.
To affect painfully with heat, or as with heat; to dry up with heat; to affect as by heat.
Lashed by mad rage, and scorched by brutal fires.
3.
To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire.
Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
The fire that scorches me to death.
Scorch , intransitive verb
1.
To be burnt on the surface; to be parched; to be dried up.
Scatter a little mungy straw or fern amongst your seedlings, to prevent the roots from scorching.
2.
To burn or be burnt.
He laid his long forefinger on the scarlet letter, which forthwith seemed to scorch into Hester's breast, as if it had been red hot.
3.
To ride or drive at great, usually at excessive, speed; -- applied chiefly to automobilists and bicyclists. [Colloq.] [Colloquial]