char

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈchär 

variants or less commonly charr

plural char or chars also charr or charrs

: any of a genus (Salvelinus) of small-scaled trouts with light-colored spots

char

2 of 6

verb (1)

charred; charring

transitive verb

1

: to convert to charcoal or carbon usually by heat : burn

2

: to burn slightly or partly : scorch

the fire charred the beams

intransitive verb

: to become charred

char

3 of 6

noun (2)

plural chars

1

: a charred substance : charcoal

specifically : a combustible residue remaining after the destructive distillation of coal

2

: a darkened crust produced on grilled food

Because gas grills generally produce less heat than charcoal grills, the steak requires a longer cooking time (and less frequent flipping) to develop a nice char.

—David Pazmiño

char

4 of 6

verb (2)

charred; charring

intransitive verb

: to work as a cleaning woman

char

5 of 6

noun (3)

British

: charwoman

char

6 of 6

noun (4)

ˈchär 

variant spelling of chare

: chore

Synonyms of char

Verb (1)

• scorch
• bake
• singe
• sear
• light

Noun (3)

• housekeeper
• maid

Examples of char in a Sentence

Verb (1)

I'd like my hamburger charred, but not cooked through

Noun (3)

a busy executive who leaves most of the cooking and cleaning to the char

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The pizza chain offers a litany of pies, ranging from cup-and-char pepperoni and Texas Barbecue to All-In Stuffed Crust and Spanish Garlic Chicken. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 7 May 2026

At Urban Assassineria, the pasta is cooked in a cast-iron pan, letting the noodles crisp and lightly char before spicy tomato sauce is gradually added. —Megan Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026

Verb

One apartment, which was charred black, had an open door, while its neighbor closed their front door. —Ali Bauman, CBS News, 7 May 2026

Grill in a grill basket, covered, over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until artichokes are lightly charred and peppers are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. —Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Verb (1)

charcoal

Verb (2)

charwoman

Noun (3)

by shortening

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1662, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1686, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1828, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1906, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing char

• arctic char

Rhymes for char

• ar
• are
• bar
• barr
• car
• carr
• charr
• czar
• far
• farre
• haar
• har

Kids Definition

char

1 of 3 noun

ˈchär 

plural char or chars

: any of a genus of trouts that have small scales and include the common brook trout

char

2 of 3 verb

charred; charring

1

: to change or become changed to charcoal or carbon usually by heat : burn

2

: to burn or become burned partly or slightly : scorch

char

3 of 3 noun

: charcoal