char

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈchär 

variants or less commonly charr

plural char or chars also charr or charrs

: any of a genus (Salvelinus) of small-scaled trouts with light-colored spots

char

2 of 5

verb (1)

charred; charring

transitive verb

1

: to convert to charcoal or carbon usually by heat : burn

2

: to burn slightly or partly : scorch

the fire charred the beams

intransitive verb

: to become charred

char

3 of 5

noun (2)

plural chars

1

: a charred substance : charcoal

specifically : a combustible residue remaining after the destructive distillation of coal

2

: a darkened crust produced on grilled food

Because gas grills generally produce less heat than charcoal grills, the steak requires a longer cooking time (and less frequent flipping) to develop a nice char.

—David Pazmiño

char

4 of 5

verb (2)

charred; charring

intransitive verb

: to work as a cleaning woman

char

5 of 5

noun (3)

British

: charwoman

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• scorch
• sear
• singe

Noun (3)

• biddy
• charwoman
• handmaiden
• handmaid
• house girl
• housekeeper
• housemaid
• maid
• maidservant
• skivvy [British]
• wench [old-fashioned]

Examples of char in a Sentence

Verb (1)

I'd like my hamburger charred, but not cooked through

Noun (3)

a busy executive who leaves most of the cooking and cleaning to the char

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The two bodies were found charred in the fuselage of the Beech F90 King Air aircraft that took off from Sao Paulo bound for the city of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil, according to local authorities. —Eduardo Simoes and Isabel Teles, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025

In the crash’s aftermath, first responders searched vehicles left charred by the incident, including one with 37-year-old Dreuitt inside. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025

Noun

To take part regardless of the season, roast and caramelize your favorite produce in the oven, or find new ways to add a char to surprising dishes, like in McCormick’s Charred Plum Crostini. —Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2025

Brussels are dense vegetables, so the kick of kung pao sauce, char from the fire and crunch from the cashew furikake topping were welcomed — especially alongside the creamy pasta. —Hannah Wise, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Verb (1)

charcoal

Verb (2)

charwoman

Noun (3)

by shortening

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1662, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1679, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1732, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1906, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing char

• arctic char

Kids Definition

char

1 of 3 noun

ˈchär 

plural char or chars

: any of a genus of trouts that have small scales and include the common brook trout

char

2 of 3 verb

charred; charring

1

: to change or become changed to charcoal or carbon usually by heat : burn

2

: to burn or become burned partly or slightly : scorch

char

3 of 3 noun

: charcoal