singe

CEFRC1

/sɪnd͡ʒ/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To burn the surface of something slightly.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To remove the nap of (cloth), by passing it rapidly over a red-hot bar, or over a flame, preliminary to dyeing it.

Examples

  • Be careful not to singe your eyebrows with the lighter.

  • He tried to singe the loose threads on the end of the rope.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To burn slightly.

  2. To remove the hair or down from (a plucked chicken, etc.) by passing it over a flame.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A burning of the surface; a slight burn.

More examples

In context

  • To singe means to burn the surface of a thing very slightly.

  • Then ſange Iudith this ſonge vnto the LORDE: Begynne vnto the LORDE vpon the tabrettes, ſinge vnto the LORDE vpon the cymbals.

  • made combustible by Flame They treat of, we have pretty Game, For they their own Tail Singe, to save Us

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She will blank her hair if she gets too close to the flame.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English sengen, from Old English senġan, sænċġan (“to singe, burn slightly, scorch, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *sangijan (“to burn, torch”), from Proto-Indo-European *senk- (“to burn”). Cognate with West Frisian singe, sinzje (“to singe”), Saterland Frisian soange (“to singe”), Dutch zengen (“to singe, scorch”), German Low German sengen (“to singe”), German sengen (“to singe, scorch”), Icelandic sangur (“singed, burnt, scorched”).