sear

¹sear

Definition of SEAR

variant of sere

²sear

verb \ˈsir\

Definition of SEAR

intransitive verb

: to cause withering or drying

transitive verb

1

: to make withered and dry : parch

2

a : to burn, scorch, mark, or injure with or as if with sudden application of intense heat

b : to cook the surface of quickly with intense heat <sear a steak>

Examples of SEAR

1. The tree was seared by lightning.
2. The flames seared my skin.
3. The steak was seared over a hot grill.

Origin of SEAR

Middle English seren, from Old English sēarian to become dry, from sēar sere

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SEAR

Synonyms

char, scorch, singe

Antonyms

hydrate, wash, water, wet

Related Words

fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, light; bake, cremate, incinerate; scald, scathe

Near Antonyms

bathe, deluge, douse (also dowse), drench, drown, flood, inundate, overflow, saturate, soak, sop, souse, waterlog; damp, dampen, humidify, moisten; rehydrate; dip, dunk, submerge, swamp

Rhymes with SEAR

beer, bier, blear, cere, cheer, clear, dear, deer, Deere, drear, ear, fear, fere, fleer, gear, hear, here, jeer, leer, mere, mir, near, peer, pier, Pierre, queer, rear, schmear, seer, sere, shear, sheer, skirr, smear, sneer, spear, speer, sphere, steer, tear, tier, Trier, Tyr, veer, weir, year

³sear

noun

Definition of SEAR

: a mark or scar left by searing

First Known Use of SEAR

1874

⁴sear

noun

Definition of SEAR

: the catch that holds the hammer of a gun's lock at cock or half cock

Origin of SEAR

probably from Middle French serre grasp, from serrer to press, grasp, from Old French, from Late Latin serare to bolt, latch, from Latin sera bar for fastening a door

First Known Use: 1596