Definition of the word scorch

The word "scorch" has its roots in Old English and Old Norse. It is derived from the word "scercean", which means "to burn" or "to inflame". This Proto-Germanic root is also related to the Latin word "caedere", meaning "to cut" or "to strike", which is the source of the English word "score". In Middle English (circa 11th to 15th centuries), "scorch" developed to mean "to burn to a crisp" or "to char". This sense of severe burning was later extended to other contexts, such as scorching heat or scorching criticism. Today, "scorch" can be used as a verb or a noun, and its meaning remains centered around the idea of intense heat or burning, whether literal or figurative.