Parching
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The process of parching or roasting something, such as corn.
"I have already told how we parched sunflower seed; and that I used two or three double-handfuls of seed to a parching. I used two parchings of sunflower seed for one mess of four-vegetables-mixed."
- 2 The condition of being parched; absolute dryness.
"Squalid youths with ghastly grin, In hollow bitter roots shall bring, Urine of the unsav'ry goat, To quell the parchings of thy throat."
- 1 present participle and gerund of parch form-of, gerund, participle, present
- 1 Causing something or someone to parch; extremely drying.
"Who can unpitying see the flowery race, / Shed by the morn, their new-flush'd bloom resign, / Before the parching beam?"
- 2 Very thirsty; parched.
"Proceed to nearest canteen and there annex liquor stores. March! Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are […] parching."
Example
More examples"When the day broke, the cold was intense, and the sharp north wind was parching everything."
Etymology
From parch + -ing.
More for "parching"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.