charring (See char)

1 a charred substance

2 a human female who does housework; "the char will clean the carpet" [syn: charwoman, cleaning woman, cleaning lady, woman]

3 any of several small-scaled trout

1 burn to charcoal; "Without a drenching rain, the forest fire will char everything" [syn: coal]

2 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" [syn: blacken, scorch] [also: charring, charred]

English

Verb

charring

1. present participle of char

Noun

1. The incomplete combustion of organic material.

Charring is a process of incomplete combustion that often occurs when biological tissue (living or dead) is subjected to heat. The resulting matter is sometimes called char. Coke and charcoal are produced this way.

Charring removes hydrogen and oxygen, so that char is composed primarily of carbon.

Charring had a special meaning under the common law of England. Under that system, the crime of arson required charring of a dwelling—actual damage to the fiber of the material from which the structure was built—and not mere "scorching" or damage to the surface, or to surface coverings such as carpets and wallpaper.