to char
Burn until black
To char is to burn something partially, blackening its surface without reducing it to ash: The fire charred the wooden beams.
Meat or vegetables may be charred deliberately for flavor.
As a noun, char is the blackened material that results.
Separately, British char is informal for tea, and a char or charwoman is a cleaning lady—from an old word meaning a small job or chore.
- blowtorchPortable directed-flame device
- open flameUncovered burning source
- igniteStart burning something
- pyrolyzeDecompose via intense heat
- blackeningMaking or becoming dark
carbonization · wood · singe · scorch · burnt toast · brittleness · sear · blackened fish · well done steak · kiln · incinerate · coal · smolder · matches · fire pit · campfire cooking · combust · paper