parch
verb
- make very very dry
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /pɑɹt͡ʃ/ / /pɑːtʃ/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).
- The condition of being parched.
“Yet here he is, not at the head, but somewhere toward the rear of the serpentine queue wending its way through all this parch […].”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).
- To burn the surface of, to scorch.
“The sun today could parch cement.”
- To roast, as dry grain.
“Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn.”
- To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat.
“The patient’s mouth is parched from fever.”
“They vvould go over board vvith a Rope faſtned about them, that by drenching themſelves a vvhile in the Sea, they might eaſe the internal Heat vvhich parched them; and vvhen they ſtood any of them to ſteer the Veſſel, they vvould have their Feet in a Pail of Sea VVater to refrigerate 'em.”
- To make very thirsty.
“We're parched, hon. Could you send up an ale from the cooler?”
“In my haste I stumbled , and fell over one of the wounded; he groaned, and prayed me for a cup of water to cool the thirst that parched him.”
- To boil something slowly (Still used in Lancashire in parched peas, a type of mushy peas).
- To become superficially burnt; to become sunburned.
“The locals watched, amused, as the tourists parched in the sun, having neglected to apply sunscreen or bring water.”