singe

UK: /ˈsɪndʒ/ US: /sɪndʒ/ ,(sinj)

Inflections of 'singe' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

singes

v 3rd person singular

singeing

v pres p

singed

v past

singed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

singe /sɪndʒ/   v., singed, singe•ing, n. 
v. [~ + object]

1. to burn slightly;
   scorch:
   The hot iron singed the shirt.
2. to burn the ends, edges, etc., of (hair, cloth, etc.):
   The firefighter's hair was singed from her attempt to rescue the child.

n. [countable]

3. a slight burn.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

singe  (sinj), v., singed, singe•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to burn superficially or slightly;
   scorch.
2. to burn the ends, projections, nap, or the like, of (hair, cloth, etc.).
3. to subject (the carcass of an animal or bird) to flame in order to remove hair, bristles, feathers, etc.

n. 

4. a superficial burn.
5. the act of singeing.

• bef. 1000; Middle English sengen (verb, verbal), Old English sencgan; cognate with Dutch zengen, German sengen; akin to Old Norse sangr singed, burnt

singe′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. char. See burn ¹.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

singe / sɪndʒ/ verb (singes, singeing, singed)

1. to burn or be burnt superficially; scorch: to singe one's clothes
2. (transitive) to burn the ends of (hair, etc)
3. (transitive) to expose (a carcass) to flame to remove bristles or hair

noun

1. a superficial burn

Etymology: Old English sengan; related to Middle High German sengen to singe, Dutch sengel spark, Norwegian sengla to smell of burning, Swedish sjängla to singe, Icelandic sāngr