char
char Lexical Profile
char Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To partially burn the surface of an object so that it turns black.
"The intense heat of the grill will quickly char the outside of the steak while keeping the inside rare."
To reduce a substance to carbon or charcoal by fire or heat.
"If the wood is left in the kiln too long without proper airflow, it will completely char."
• noun
Material that has been scorched or partially burned, typically leaving a blackened carbon residue.
"The fire investigators sifted through the thick layer of char left in the kitchen to determine where the blaze originated."
Any of several species of cold-water fish in the genus Salvelinus, belonging to the salmon family and typically found in deep alpine lakes and Arctic waters.
"We spent the afternoon fishing for Arctic char in the pristine, icy waters of the Canadian lake."
British Tea.
"After a long morning working in the garden, she sat down on the patio for a nice cup of char."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'char' acts as three distinct, unrelated nouns in English: the blackened remnant of something burned, a species of cold-water fish (also spelled 'charr'), and British slang for tea.
• Rhymes for char
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The verb meaning 'to burn' is a late 17th-century back-formation from 'charcoal'. The fish noun derives from Celtic roots, likely akin to the Old Irish 'ceara' (red), referring to the fish's pinkish belly. The British slang for tea comes directly from Mandarin 'chá'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.