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
charred; charring
2
: to burn slightly or partly : scorch
the fire charred the beams
: to become charred
plural chars
1
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
David PazmiñoSynonyms
Examples of char in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebSammy Westfall, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Pictures published by Russian emergency services showed emergency medical workers sawing through the remains of the concert hall, where the seats had been charred down to their metal insides.
—Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Horseradish gremolata brightens an earthy saffron ravioli, charred Treviso and butternut squash and braised pork ennoble garganelli.
—Sunset Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
It’s infused with a blend of Italian peppers, which impart a light heat that won’t char your palate—but will certainly wake up any otherwise bland dishes on the menu.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 13 Mar. 2024
Use a spatula to firmly press eggplant down; cook, undisturbed, until lightly charred and starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024
Rabe furikake and charred scallion crema finish off one of the best dishes on the menu.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024
Cut and seed jalapeños and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for one minute, until heavily charred.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024
The van, also on its side on the shoulder of the road, appeared to have been charred by fire.
—Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024
Misty Severi, Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2024
Happily, my fellow members turned out to be kitchen experts; one of them, the author of multiple cookbooks, immediately took control of the grill to char plantains, tomatoes, onions, spices, and herbs.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024
The Arctic char tacos are served with greens grown hydroponically in nearby shipping containers.
—Fiona McGlynn, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
Grill the meat over direct heat until char lines appear and meat is done to taste, 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or broil until charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
—Emily Weinstein, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
The char siu chicken was the standout — juicy, tender, and a little sweet and smoky.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024
Throw these steaks onto a super-hot skillet to get the same char.
3 of 10Iain Bagwell
Savory Carrot Ribbon Tart
With its tangle of bright carrot strips and bits of spicy chorizo, this beautiful tart makes an exciting appetizer or even a light main dish.
—Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
Who better to tell the story of a slightly lopsided head of lettuce, a jar of pickled jalapeños, or the light char on a sourdough loaf than the person who created it?
—Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024
Tandoori smoked lamb chops are tender and smoky with a crispy char.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024
Verb
Video of the scene showed blazes and a huge column of smoke emerging from the building’s bottom floor, leaving charred what could be seen of its facade.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Pictures published by Russian emergency services showed emergency medical workers sawing through the remains of the concert hall, where the seats had been charred down to their metal insides.
—Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Horseradish gremolata brightens an earthy saffron ravioli, charred Treviso and butternut squash and braised pork ennoble garganelli.
—Sunset Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024
It’s infused with a blend of Italian peppers, which impart a light heat that won’t char your palate—but will certainly wake up any otherwise bland dishes on the menu.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 13 Mar. 2024
Use a spatula to firmly press eggplant down; cook, undisturbed, until lightly charred and starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024
Rabe furikake and charred scallion crema finish off one of the best dishes on the menu.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024
Cut and seed jalapeños and place them on a baking sheet in the oven for one minute, until heavily charred.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024
The van, also on its side on the shoulder of the road, appeared to have been charred by fire.
—Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2024
Noun
An investigation into why there was a fuel leak and the loss of char layer pieces from the spacecraft’s heat shield is expected to conclude this spring.
—Misty Severi, Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2024
Happily, my fellow members turned out to be kitchen experts; one of them, the author of multiple cookbooks, immediately took control of the grill to char plantains, tomatoes, onions, spices, and herbs.
—Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024
The Arctic char tacos are served with greens grown hydroponically in nearby shipping containers.
—Fiona McGlynn, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024
Grill the meat over direct heat until char lines appear and meat is done to taste, 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or broil until charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
—Emily Weinstein, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
The char siu chicken was the standout — juicy, tender, and a little sweet and smoky.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024
Throw these steaks onto a super-hot skillet to get the same char.
3 of 10Iain Bagwell
Savory Carrot Ribbon Tart
With its tangle of bright carrot strips and bits of spicy chorizo, this beautiful tart makes an exciting appetizer or even a light main dish.
—Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024
Who better to tell the story of a slightly lopsided head of lettuce, a jar of pickled jalapeños, or the light char on a sourdough loaf than the person who created it?
—Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024
Tandoori smoked lamb chops are tender and smoky with a crispy char.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'char.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near char
Cite this Entry
“Char.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/char. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
3 of 3 noun
: charcoal
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