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

Broil, turning halfway through, until golden brown with some edges getting a deeper char, 15–18 minutes. — Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026

Capsules commonly carry ablative shields made from materials designed to char and gradually wear away. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

The same chargrill produces the usual skewers but also charred okra spears or smoky mushrooms. — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026

Times staff writer Corinne Purtill wrote that initially park officials were hopeful that because the fire, which charred through 40% of the 18,000-acre island, burned at low intensity through the grove, the trees could recover. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 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