"scorches" in the noun sense
1. scorch, singe
a surface burn
2. scorch
a plant disease that produces a browning or scorched appearance of plant tissues
3. scorch
a discoloration caused by heat
"scorches" in the verb sense
1. sear, scorch
make very hot and dry
"The heat scorched the countryside"
2. scorch, sear, singe
become superficially burned
"my eyebrows singed when I bent over the flames"
3. scorch
destroy completely by or as if by fire
"The wildfire scorched the forest and several homes"
"the invaders scorched the land"
4. char, blacken, sear, scorch
burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color
"The cook blackened the chicken breast"
"The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece"
"the flames scorched the ceiling"
5. scorch
become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions
"The exposed tree scorched in the hot sun"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
Princeton University "About WordNet®."
WordNet®. Princeton University. 2010.
View WordNet® License