scorch¹ /skörch/

1. To burn slightly or superficially
2. To parch
3. To dry up, wither, or affect painfully or injuriously by heat or as if by heat
4. To wither with scorn, censure, etc

1. To be burned on the surface
2. To be dried up
3. To cycle or drive very quickly (informal)

1. An act of scorching
2. Damage or an injury by scorching

scorched adjective

scorchˈer noun

1. A person who or thing which scorches
2. A day of scorching heat (informal)
3. Something remarkable (informal)
4. Anything stinging or caustic

scorchˈing noun and adjective

scorchˈingly adverb

scorchˈingness noun

scorched earth policy noun

1. In warfare, the policy of destroying everything in an area that may be of use to an advancing army
2. Any policy or manoeuvre in which action is taken to reduce useful assets in order to minimize their value to future occupants, owners, etc

scorch² /skörch/ (Shakespeare; Walter Scott)

To slash (in Macbeth III.2.13, scotch'd conjecturally read for scorch'd by L Theobald, 18c editor)

• readjusted
• readjusting
• readjustment
• readjustments
• readjusts
• read like a book
• readme file
• readme files
• readmission
• readmissions
• readmit
• readmits
• readmittance
• readmittances
• readmitted
• readmitting
• read off
• read oneself in
• read-only
• readopt
• readopted
• readopting
• readoption
• readoptions
• readopts