sear

UK: /sɪə/ US: /sɪr/ ,(sēr)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sear¹ /sɪr/   v., 

[~ + object]
1. to scorch or char the surface of:
   to sear the beef.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sear¹  (sēr), v.t. 

1. to burn or char the surface of:
   She seared the steak to seal in the juices.
2. to mark with a branding iron.
3. Pathology to burn or scorch injuriously or painfully:
   He seared his hand on a hot steam pipe.
4. to make callous or unfeeling;
   harden:
   The hardship of her youth has seared her emotionally.
5. to dry up or wither;
   parch.

v.i. 

6. to become dry or withered, as vegetation.

n. 

7. Pathology a mark or scar made by searing.

adj. 

8. sere¹.

• bef. 900; (adjective, adjectival) Middle English sere, Old English sēar; cognate with Dutch zoor; (verb, verbal) Middle English seren, Old English sēarian, derivative of sēar

Synonyms

• 1. See burn ¹.

sear²  (sēr), n. 

1. a pivoted piece that holds the hammer at full cock or half cock in the firing mechanism of small arms.

• Vulgar Latin *serrāre, for Late Latin serāre to bar (a door), derivative of Latin sera door-bar; Vulgar Latin -rr- unexplained
• Middle French serre a grip, derivative of serrer to lock up, close
• 1550–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sear / sɪə/ verb (transitive)

1. to scorch or burn the surface of
2. to brand with a hot iron
3. to cause to wither or dry up
4. to make callous or unfeeling

adjective

1. dried up

Etymology: Old English sēarian to become withered, from sēar withered; related to Old High German sōrēn, Greek hauos dry, Sanskrit sōsa drought

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sere¹  (sēr), adj. 

1. dry;
   withered.

Also, sear. 

• bef. 900; Middle English seer(e), Old English sēar; see sear¹

Synonyms

arid, parched, desiccated, wizened.

sere²  (sēr), n. 

1. Ecology the series of stages in an ecological succession.

• back formation from series 1915–20

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sere, sear / sɪə/ adjective

1. dried up or withered

verb , noun

1. a rare spelling of sear11

Etymology: Old English sēar; see sear¹

sere / sɪə/ noun

1. the series of changes occurring in the ecological succession of a particular community

Etymology: 20th Century: from series