sear

About 0.23 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Dry; withered, especially of vegetation.
2. verb To char, scorch, or burn the surface of (something) with a hot instrument.

   He likes to sear his steaks while maintaining rareness at the center.

3. verb To cause to wither or dry up; to parch.
4. verb To feel burned.

   1991, Eddie Vedder, “Black”, in Stone Gossard (music), Ten‎, performed by Pearl Jam, Epic:

5. verb To make callous or insensible (Can we add an example for this sense?)
6. verb To mark permanently, as if by burning.

   The events of that day were seared into her memory.

7. noun A scar produced by searing
8. noun Part of a gun that retards the hammer until the trigger is pulled.

Similar words

withered shriveled shrivelled parch scorch sere dry dried-up wither burning

Often followed by

the of and his her it on in that

Word family

seared searing sears sere