singe

verb \ ˈsinj \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of singe

singed; singeing play \ˈsin-jiŋ\

: to burn superficially or lightly : scorch; especially : to remove the hair, down, or fuzz from usually by passing rapidly over a flame

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Examples of singe in a Sentence

The wood was singed by the candle.
the marshmallows got a bit singed over the campfire, but we like them that way

Recent Examples of singe from the Web

Forcing officials to comply with legitimate congressional oversight is far better than sitting back to watch those same officials singe the institution and its relationship with Congress in a flame of impeachment resolutions.

— kimberley a. strassel, WSJ, "The Real Constitutional Crisis," 24 May 2018
There’s nothing worse than seeing the steam coming from your tools and inhaling the scent of singeing, burning hair.

— stephanie saltzman, Allure, "The Best Heat Protectants You Can Get for Less Than $20," 10 Apr. 2018
After several years of regaling the leading lights of Restoration London with his tales of singeing the Don’s beard, Morgan realized that respectable society was beginning to lose interest in him.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Island that Disappeared," 20 Mar. 2018
Samuel Johnson, one recalls, a ferociously unsociable reader, and blind as a bat, was constantly in danger of singeing his wig against his candle.

— john sutherland, New York Times, "We Are What We Read," 2 Jan. 2018
Gus's chicken comes hot enough to burn your fingers and seasoned to singe your tongue, but never too much.

— Southern Living, "Southern Journal: My Last Meal," 3 Mar. 2011
Tang starts by singeing the pork belly to remove the hairs before placing it in a marinade of dark soy sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, honey, Chinese cooking wine, and sugar.

— jennifer conrad, Vogue, "Slow Cooking: The Retro Technique You Should Revive for Fall," 29 Oct. 2017
Spicy Buffalo sauce won't singe your tongue but adds enough bite and tang to set off the tots.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "New foods you should eat at Indiana Pacers games," 18 Oct. 2017
The conflagration of her personality is only rarely brought near enough to singe.

— sam sacks, WSJ, "The Best New Fiction," 25 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'singe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.