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 stainless set perfectly sears salmon skin, and gives a quick char to green beans or any other sautéed veggie without mushing up the interior. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026

The steak was smoky and tender, with the kind of char that lingers without overwhelming the meat. — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Verb

Residents of one village in the Gironde region of France returned to find their homes charred and destroyed by the wildfire which has ripped through them. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 July 2026

Triple Char means that the barrels the bourbon was aged in were charred for three times as long as usual, which is supposed to bring out even more flavors from the wood (the charring process is really what makes bourbon bourbon, after all). — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 26 July 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