Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense singes, present participle singeing, past tense, past participle singed
verb
If you singe something or if it singes, it burns very slightly and changes colour but does not catch fire.
The electric fire had begun to singe the bottoms of his trousers. [VERB noun]
Her hair was singed and her anorak was burnt. [VERB-ed]
Toast the dried chillies in a hot pan until they start to singe. [VERB]
Synonyms: burn, sear, scorch, char More Synonyms of singe
singe in British English
(sɪndʒ)
verbWord forms: singes, singeing or singed
1.
to burn or be burnt superficially; scorch
to singe one's clothes
2. (transitive)
to burn the ends of (hair, etc)
3. (transitive)
to expose (a carcass) to flame to remove bristles or hair
noun
4.
a superficial burn
Word origin
Old English sengan; related to Middle High German sengen to singe, Dutch sengel spark, Norwegian sengla to smell of burning, Swedish sjängla to singe, Icelandic sāngr
singe in American English
(sɪndʒ)
verb transitiveWord forms: singed or ˈsingeing
1.
to burn superficially or slightly
2.
to expose (the carcass of an animal or fowl) to flame in removing bristles or feathers
3.
to burn the nap from (cloth) as a process of manufacture
4.
to burn the tips of (hair), as after a haircut
noun
5.
the act of singeing
6.
a superficial burn
SIMILAR WORDS: burn
Word origin
ME sengen < OE sengan, akin to Ger sengen < IE base *senk-, to burn, dry out > OSlav isočiti, to dry, sǫcilo, oven
Examples of 'singe' in a sentence
singe
I could feel and hear my hair and clothing beginning to singe.
Matthews, Lew A CONVICTION OF GUILT (2002)
Holly was dangerous with an iron because of her ability to singe holes in all her most precious garments.
Cathy Kelly JUST BETWEEN US (2002)
He was hungry and there was a porcupine to singe, clean, and roast before he would eat.
Hillerman, Tony THE JOE LEAPHORN MYSTERIES (2002)
(verb)
Definition
to burn slightly without setting alight
Her hair was singed and her anorak was burnt.
Synonyms
burn
I burnt the toast.
sear
Grass fires have seared the land.
scorch
The bomb scorched the side of the building.
char
Halve the peppers and char the skins under a hot grill.
blacken
Additional synonyms
in the sense of char
Definition
to blacken by partial burning
Halve the peppers and char the skins under a hot grill.