parch
UK /pɑːtʃ/ · US /pɑɹt͡ʃ/ verb, noun
Forms parches parching parched
- verb (transitive) To burn the surface of, to scorch. “The sun today could parch cement.”
- verb (transitive) To roast, as dry grain.
- verb (transitive) To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat. “The patient’s mouth is parched from fever.”
- verb (intransitive, colloquial) To be very thirsty. “We're parched, hon. Could you send up an ale from the cooler?”
- verb (transitive, archaic) To boil something slowly (Still used in Lancashire in parched peas, a type of mushy peas).
- verb (intransitive) To become superficially burnt; to become sunburned. “The locals watched, amused, as the tourists parched in the sun, having neglected to apply sunscreen or bring water.”
- noun The condition of being parched.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To burn the surface of; to scorch; to roast over the fire, as dry grain; as, to parch the skin; to parch corn.
- verb To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat; as, the mouth is parched from fever.
- verb To become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry. "Parch in Afric sun." Shak.
Etymology [OE. perchen to pierce, hence used of a piercing heat or cold, OF. perchier, another form of percier, F. percer. See Pierce.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “parch”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details