singe Hear it!

singe Definition

singe (sinj)

transitive verb singed, singe′·ing

  1. to burn superficially or slightly
  2. to expose (the carcass of an animal or fowl) to flame in removing bristles or feathers
  3. to burn the nap from (cloth) as a process of manufacture
  4. to burn the tips of (hair), as after a haircut

Etymology: ME sengen < OE sengan, akin to Ger sengen < IE base *senk-, to burn, dry out > OSlav isočiti, to dry, sǫcilo, oven

noun

  1. the act of singeing
  2. a superficial burn

singe Synonyms

singe

v.

burn, sear, scorch; see burn 2, 6. See syn. study at burn.

singe Usage Examples

Object

  • eyebrow: You can specify what you want and you'll wind up with some great creative pieces minus the singed eyebrows.
  • feather: The other wife had already finished while the good-for-nothing was still struggling with the singed feathers.
  • sheep: It used to be that a singed sheep 's head was traditional!

Converse of object

  • show: The economy Recently the catastrophic Russian economic depression had been showing singes of bottoming out.

Preposition: at

  • edge: In the ruins of the house I noticed an English Language textbook printed by Oxford University Press, singed at the edges.

Modifies a noun

  • word: And neither inside the train nor outside it had I spoken a singe word of English.
  • currency: Our position on the singe currency was clear and had not changed.
  • room: The project accommodates 21 GP beds, five of which are singe room accommodation.

Modifying Another Word

  • slightly: The ( slightly singed ) Celtic Shield went to Gerry Humphries ( great first event, now keep it up Gerry!
  • little: It's difficult to tell, but it might be a little singed at the edges as well.
  • badly: He fell to the ground, with the right side of his head, badly singed.
  • then: The flesh is then singed by a blowtorch to improve its appearance.
  • not: The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • off: He threw up arms to protect face, hair on forearm singed off, burned holes in cap... .