char

1 of 5

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 5

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 5

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 5

verb (2)

charred; charring

intransitive verb

: to work as a cleaning woman

char

5 of 5

noun (3)

British

: charwoman

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• scorch
• bake
• singe
• sear
• light

Noun (3)

• housekeeper
• maid
• handmaid

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

Verb

Return to oven, and broil until shrimp are cooked through and opaque on the outside and pineapple is charred in spots, about 5 minutes. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025

One by one, they’ve been lapped up by wildfires that have repeatedly charred the land his great-great-great-grandfather received in 1836 for his service in the Army of the Republic of Texas. —Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Noun

The signature fat cap is trimmed, but the dish is still well composed, with just enough char to anchor the richness of the meat. —Keyla Vasconcellos, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Don’t rinse the peppers, just wipe off any bits of char with a paper towel. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 22 July 2025

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)

1679, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1732, 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