char

1 of 5

noun (1)

variants or less commonly
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

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The nose opens with aromas of rye toast, caramel, cinnamon, clove, charred oak, and a hint of baked pear. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025 The fire caused $445,000 in property damage and content loss and damaged two homes on either side of the lot. Bricks, burned wood, and charred remains sit taped off at the site. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2025
Noun
The finish is medium length with lingering notes of seasoned oak, cold smoke, and a hint of char. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 Aging occurs in casks with various char levels across four states, resulting in various flavors that collectively shape their unique expressions. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for char

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of char was in 1662

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Char.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/char. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

char

1 of 3 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on char

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!