MEANING
To burn or scorch a surface, darkening it without consuming the material completely.
Use it for
Use for a darkened surface or edge damaged by heat.Mark a place with a trace of fire that hints at an earlier event.
Words that belong together
- char the wood
- charred edges
- char the surface
On the page
The blast charred the nursery door but left the brass handle untouched.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- char
- Past tense
- charred
- Past participle
- charred
- Present participle
- charring
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- char
- Present continuous
- am/is/are charring
- Present perfect
- have/has charred
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been charring
- Past
- charred
- Past continuous
- was/were charring
- Past perfect
- had charred
- Past perfect continuous
- had been charring
- Future
- will char
- Future continuous
- will be charring
- Future perfect
- will have charred
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been charring
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
As a verb, char usually means partly burn or blacken; its past forms are charred and charring, not charred as a headword.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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