▪ I. † scorch, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 5 scorche, skorch, scorce, 6 scorch.
[a. OF. escorche, escorce (mod.F. écorce).]
Rind, bark.
| 1480 Caxton Ovid's Met. x. viii, The chylde, of whiche Mirra was grete, grewe, w{supt} payne under the scorche & rynde. 1481 ― Myrrour ii. x. 90 Other trees there growe..that bere notemygges, And of the rynde and scorce is the canell or synamome. 1579 W. Langham Gard. Health (1633) 15 Make..Almond milke.., and eate it with Sugar, and powder of the ryndes and scorches of a Pomegranate. |
▪ II. scorch, n.2
(skɔːtʃ)
Also 7 scortch.
[f. scorch v.1]
1. a. A mark or impression produced by scorching; a superficial burn. Also fig.
| 1611 Cotgr., Maquereaux, red scorches, or spots on the legs of such as vse to sit neere the fire. 1872 T. L. Cuyler Heart-Thoughts 38 The ugly scorch upon the commercial integrity of the merchant. |
b. A scorched appearance of foliage, symptomatic of various plant diseases.
| 1906 Misc. Publ. Board Agric. & Fisheries Dis. Fruit 13 Cherry leaf-scorch. A disease which every now and then proves destructive to the cherry crop. The leaves are attacked by a minute fungus, which causes them to turn brown and die, often quite early in the season. 1926 Misc. Publ. Min. Agric. LII. 63 Leaf scorch (physiological) [of apple trees]... In Lancashire the trouble appeared largely to be due to lack of potash, which is a contributory factor in many cases. 1933 Discovery Nov. 350/1 Scorch, due to the fungus Kabatiella caulivora, a disease which has come into prominence in recent years, causes considerable destruction in pure stands of red clover. 1974 Nature 8 Feb. 338/1 An experimental pirimiphos-methyl formulation produced localised scorch on citrus fruit. |
2. a. Scorching effect (of the sun or fire).
| 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. vi. x. 330 Not onely their legitimate and timely births, but their abortions are also duskie, before they have felt the scortch and fervor of the Sun. c 1790 Cowper Wks. (1837) XV. 318 When he calls it a balm to heal the scar of these corrosive fires [Milton P.L. ii. 401], we almost feel the scorch, and the pleasure of the remedy. 1862 Lady Duff-Gordon in F. Galton Vac. Tourists (1864) 162 They said the thermometer was at about 130° where I was walking yesterday, but (barring the scorch) I could not have believed it. |
b. fig.
| 1626 Bp. H. King Serm. Deliv. 9 Which..shelters vs from the scorches of the last Iudgement. 1672 W. Penn Spir. Truth Vind. 52 Persecution comes, with the Scorch of which they are wont to singe and wrap up like a Scrole. 1859 I. Taylor Logic in Theol. 212 Profligate magnates quailed..whenever this scorch of eternal reason was sent in upon their conscience. |
3. [From scorch v.1 3.] An act of ‘scorching’; a rapid run on a cycle or a motor-car.
| 1885 Cyclist 19 Aug. 1084/1 Another 24 hours scorch! 1890 Polytechnic Mag. 13 Mar. 161/1 An impromptu scorch was started by the members trying to keep behind a really fast cabby to obtain shelter from the wind. |
4. attrib.: as scorch-mark; scorch-patch (see quot.); scorch pencil, a tool used in ‘poker-work’.
| 1897 J. Hutchinson in Archives of Surg. I. 62 ‘Scorch-patches’ is, I think, the best descriptive epithet to apply to the brown patches which occur in the macular stage of leprosy. 1903 Daily Mail 21 Aug. 9/2 The chief instrument used is a ‘scorch pencil’, so called because with it the required design is burnt upon the prepared wood surface that is to be decorated. 1952 ‘M. Cost’ Hour Awaits 112 She would..wash this scorch-mark off her thumb. 1974 M. Birmingham You can help Me ii. 38 The whole landmark came down in spectacular flames. There is still rubble and scorch marks. 1978 R. Barnard Unruly Son viii. 83 If she has her eyes on someone, they show the scorch-marks pretty fast. |
▪ III. scorch, v.1
(skɔːtʃ)
Forms: (? 5 schorge), 5–6 skorch, scorche, (6 schorch, 7 scorge, Sc. scrotch), 6–8 scortch, 6– scorch.
[Related to the earlier synonyms scorken, scorkle.
The formation is obscure. It has been supposed that the word is identical with scorch v.2 to skin, the sense being altered by association with scorken, scorkle. Against this is the fact that scorch, to skin, occurs only in a few translations from Fr. (where the original has escorchier), and is therefore not likely to have had any real currency.]
1. a. trans. To heat to such a degree as to shrivel, parch, or dry up, or to char or discolour the surface; to burn superficially.
| 14.. Chaucer's Boeth. ii. metre vi. (Addit. MS.) (1868) 55 Alle þe poeples þat þe violent wynde Nothus scorchiþ [Camb. MS. scorklith; orig. has torret]. 1430 Lydg. St. Margaret 415 This gemme of maydenhede Was brent with brondes..Hir sydes skorched. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) I. 43 Whan the pelagyens sawe this dede man of whom the skyn was scorched the fflessh rosted the senewes shronken [etc.]. 1511 Guylforde's Pilgr. (Camden) 11 An hande with parte of the arme of seynt John Baptyste, some what scorcherde [sic] with the fyre as it was brente. 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 14 The bodyes of men begin to waxe blacke and to be scorched. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 118 They..wer after let downe into the fyre from on hyghe, and there synged and skorched. 1611 Bible Rev. xvi. 8 Power was giuen vnto him to scorch men with fire. 1634 Milton Comus 929 Summer drouth, or singed air Never scorch thy tresses fair. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 616 'Twas Noon; the sultry Dog-star from the Sky Scorch'd Indian Swains, the rivell'd Grass was dry. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. vi. 279 He did not awake till the fire came near enough to scorch him. 1764 Harmer Observ. i. §20. 45 He had many times his forehead so scorched as to swell exceedingly. 1781 Cowper Expost. 15 Fiery suns, that scorch the russet spice Of eastern groves. 1813 Shelley Q. Mab vii. 9 His resolute eyes were scorched to blindness soon. 1830 M. Donovan Dom. Econ. I. 49 Her skeleton..remained entire in the chair, which was only a little scorched. 1882 ‘Ouida’ Maremma I. 18 Much beaten about by sea-winds and scorched by poisonous suns. |
| absol. 1576 Turberv. Venerie 138 They quenche the skaldyng fire, which skorched with his heate. |
b. fig.
| c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxxxix. xiii, Scorcht with Thy wrath is Thy anointed one. 1620 Sanderson Serm. 27 Feb. (1632) 307 Take Truth without Mercy; as an hot poyson it scaldeth vs, and scortcheth vs in the flames of restlesse Despayre. 1702 Prior Song to his Mistress 1 Whilst I am scorch'd with hot Desire. 1882 ‘Mark Twain’ Prince & Pauper 225 An' I tell him this, he will scorch thee finely for it. 1884 ― Huck. Finn xvi. 135 It hadn't ever come home to me before, what this thing was that I was doing. But now it did; and it staid with me, and scorched me more and more. 1934 Ade Let. 22 June (1973) 183 To me he continues to be a revelation and a marvel although he would scorch anyone who tried to put either of those labels on him. 1965 M. Spark Mandelbaum Gate v. 122 Gardnor's hushed confidence continued to scorch Freddy's ear-drums. |
| absol. 1851 Whittier Chapel of Hermits 178 The fame that crowned him scorched and burned. |
c. with away, up.
| 1598 Shakes. Merry W. i. iii. 74 The appetite of her eye did seeme to scorch me vp like a burning-glasse. a 1691 Boyle Hist. Air (1692) 165 The weather being very dry and hot, the grass and other vegetables were scorched up. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 516 Whose Leaves are not alone foul Winter's Prey, But oft by Summer Suns are scorch'd away. |
d. transf. To shrivel up as if by heat.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 274 If a mans feete be scorched with cold, the powder of a Hares Wooll is a remedy for it. 1905 Rider Haggard Gardener's Year Oct. 333 Even the hardy Sea-Buckthorns..have been sadly scorched by the spray brought up in the recent gales. |
e. intr. for refl.
Quot. c 1430 may belong to scorch v.2; the form in any case is irregular, and may be due to misreading.
| c 1430 Two Cookery Bks. 42 With a lytil Watere, late hem seþe til þey ben drye, & þat þey schorge. 1896 A. Austin England's Darling i. iii, And then together we will watch the cakes, Nor let them scorch. |
f. trans. Esp. in phr. to scorch the earth, to subject (an area) to a scorched earth policy (see scorched ppl. a.1 1 b). Also transf.
| 1941 H. G. Wells You can't be too Careful v. ii. 245 The Russians, falling back slowly upon their main line of defence, ‘scorching the earth’ before this last convulsive thrust of the Nazi. 1943 Ann. Reg. 1942 i. 193 Enormous quantities of petrol, which could not be made available until the Russian oil wells, also ‘scorched’, produced again. 1944 Return to Attack (Army Board, N.Z.) 9/2 There were neither women nor children, neither villages nor farms to be destroyed. Long ago nature had scorched the earth. 1945 Yorkshire Post 19 Apr. 1/1 The Germans are scorching towns in the way of the great armoured thrusts now threatening Hamburg. |
† 2. trans. To burn, consume by fire. Obs.
| c 1475 Partenay 3412 Ther o soule man escapid noght, But scorched and brend were to Askes small. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 18 As thogh that Pallas could not bee fullye reuenged, Thee Greek fleete scorching. 1624 Middleton Game at Chess ii. i. D 1, Here (wench) take these papers, Scorch 'em me soundly; burne 'em to French-russet. |
3. intr. To cycle or motor at high speed. Also in extended use, and with away, up.
[Cf. F. brûler le pavé, lit. ‘to burn the pavement’, said of a furious driver.]
| 1891 Wheeling 25 Feb. 405 Be wise in time, and do not ‘scorch’ while you are out of condition. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 852 The father..with his nervous system corroded by drudgery and care is determined to scorch on his bicycle or to climb the Alps with any of them. 1906 Somerville & ‘Ross’ Irish Yesterdays 150 The priest who was to have performed the Funeral Office scorched up on his bicycle, scarlet-faced, and half an hour late. 1957 A. C. Clarke Deep Range iv. 48 By keeping the torp tail-heavy and nose-up he was able to scorch along on the surface like a speed-boat. 1972 Shooting Times & Country Mag. 27 Mar. 22/2 The favourite scorched away to win by four lengths. |
▪ IV. † scorch, v.2 Obs. (Only in translations from Fr.)
In 5 skorche.
[a. OF. escorchier (mod.F. écorcher):—popular L. *excorticāre, f. ex- (see es-) + cortic-, cortex bark. Cf. escorse v.]
trans. To strip off (skin or bark), to flay. Also fig.
| c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. xx. (1869) 15 Shere yow youre shepherde may at his neede but to skorche yow is not yiue him leeue. Ibid. iii. xvi. 143 Whan the poore ben skorched thus and to pulled and that alle here goodes ben thus shaken and drawen out and arased. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 6 Her fader..made cast her in-to the Riuer, and drenche her and her childe, And made to scorch [orig. escorchier] the knight quicke. |
▪ V. † scorch, v.3 Obs.
Also 6 skorch, schortch, 6–7 scortch(e.
[An alteration of score v.; perh. after scratch. Cf. scotch v.]
trans. To slash with a knife.
| c 1550 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture B ij, Afore dyner nor after, with thy knyfe scorche [1577 scortche] not the borde. 1597 J. Payne Royal Exch. 23 Baulls preists..skorched there fleshe to the bones with there knyves. 1605 Shakes. Macb. iii. iv. 13 We have scorch'd the snake, not kill'd it. 1656 Cowley Misc., Duel 20 The Living and the Killing Arrow..broke the Bones, and scortcht the Marrow. 1823 [see scorched ppl. a.2]. |