scald

1 of 5

verb

ˈskȯld 

scalded; scalding; scalds

transitive verb

1

: to burn with or as if with hot liquid or steam

2

a

: to subject to the action of boiling water or steam

b

: to bring to a temperature just below the boiling point

scald milk

3

: scorch

intransitive verb

1

: to scald something

2

: to become scalded

scald

2 of 5

noun (1)

1

: an injury to the body caused by scalding

2

: an act or process of scalding

3

: any of various conditions or diseases of plants or fruits marked especially by a usually brownish discoloration of tissue

scald

3 of 5

adjective (1)

1

archaic : scabby, scurfy

2

archaic : shabby, contemptible

scald

4 of 5

noun (2)

variant spelling of skald

: an ancient Scandinavian poet

broadly : bard

scald

5 of 5

adjective (2)

ˈskȯld 

: subjected to scalding

… coffee … with scald cream …

—Charles Kingsley

Examples of scald in a Sentence

Verb

The steam scalded his skin.

Scald the tomatoes in boiling water so that you can peel them more easily.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Several days a week, Boniol would scald the balls in hot water and run them through the team’s industrial dryers for three to four minutes to remove the wax and stretch the leather. —Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025

The outer shell, made of stainless steel, gets warm — but never scalding hot. —Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025

Noun

This tent can double as a heat protector when summer temperatures soar into the 90s and the foliage and bark of many plants, especially tropicals, are susceptible to heat scald. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Nov. 2025

Applying a thin layer of lawn soil might help protect the green runners from sun scald but is probably not necessary. —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Seven steam nozzles run through the brush head to ensure each section gets an even hit of vapor, and the anti-scald design keeps strands away from direct heat, shielding them from unnecessary damage—especially at higher temps. —Lily Wohlner, Allure, 19 Nov. 2025

Several comics made light of high-risk behavior with flames, scald injury, contact injury, or burns. —Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French *escalder, eschauder, from Late Latin excaldare to wash in warm water, from Latin ex- + calida, calda warm water, from feminine of calidus warm, from calēre to be warm — more at lee

Adjective (1)

scall + -ed entry 1

Adjective (2)

alteration of scalded

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (1)

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for scald

• auld
• bald
• balled
• bawled
• called
• crawled
• drawled
• galled
• hauled
• lolled
• mauled
• palled

Kids Definition

scald

1 of 2 verb

ˈskȯld 

1

: to burn with or as if with hot liquid or steam

2

a

: to cover with boiling water or steam

b

: to bring to a temperature just below the boiling point

scald milk

3

: scorch entry 1 sense 1

scald

2 of 2 noun

: an injury to the body caused by scalding

Medical Definition

scald

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈskȯld 

: to burn with hot liquid or steam

scald

2 of 2 noun

: an injury to the body caused by scalding