[scorch] vb [ME; akin to ME scorcnen, prob. of Scand origin; akin to ON skorpna to shrivel up--more at shrimp] vt (14c) 1: to burn a surface of so as to change its color and texture
2. a: to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat: parch b: to afflict painfully with censure or sarcasm
3: devastate; esp: to destroy (as property of possible use to an advancing enemy) before abandoning--used in the phrase scorched earth ~ vi 1: to become scorched
2: to travel at great and usu. excessive speed
3: to cause intense heat or mental anguish "~ing sun" "~ing fury" -- scorch.ing.ly adv
[2]scorch n (15c) 1: a result of scorching
2: a browning of plant tissues usu. from disease or heat [3]scorch vt [ME, perh. blend of scoren to score and scocchen to scotch] (14c) dial Brit: cut, slash