char

1 of 5

noun (1)

variants or less commonly charr
plural char or chars also charr or charrs
: any of a genus (Salvelinus) of small-scaled trouts with light-colored spots

char

2 of 5

verb (1)

charred; charring

transitive verb

1
: to convert to charcoal or carbon usually by heat : burn
2
: to burn slightly or partly : scorch
the fire charred the beams

char

3 of 5

noun (2)

plural chars
1
: a charred substance : charcoal
specifically : a combustible residue remaining after the destructive distillation of coal
2
: a darkened crust produced on grilled food
Because gas grills generally produce less heat than charcoal grills, the steak requires a longer cooking time (and less frequent flipping) to develop a nice char.David Pazmiño

char

4 of 5

verb (2)

charred; charring

intransitive verb

: to work as a cleaning woman

char

5 of 5

noun (3)

British

Examples of char in a Sentence

Verb (1) I'd like my hamburger charred, but not cooked through Noun (3) a busy executive who leaves most of the cooking and cleaning to the char
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Named after the traditional Japanese technique of shou sugi ban where wood is charred to enhance its durability and beauty, the retreat reflects minimalist design principles and offers a range of holistic health experiences. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 The nose features caramel, dark chocolate, toffee fudge, dates, fig jam, charred oak, and old leather. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
Dragonfly has, in the past, done a ramen with a char sui rib on top. Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024 How Wallace re-creates a classic New Haven char without a charcoal oven. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for char 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Verb (1)

charcoal

Verb (2)

charwoman

Noun (3)

by shortening

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1662, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1679, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1732, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of char was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near char

Cite this Entry

“Char.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/char. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

char

1 of 3 noun
plural char or chars
: any of a genus of trouts that have small scales and include the common brook trout

char

2 of 3 verb
charred; charring
1
: to change or become changed to charcoal or carbon usually by heat : burn
2
: to burn or become burned partly or slightly : scorch

char

3 of 3 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on char

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!