PARCH

parch, sear

(verb) cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat; “The sun parched the earth”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

parch (third-person singular simple present parches, present participle parching, simple past and past participle parched)

(transitive) To burn the surface of, to scorch.

(transitive) To roast, as dry grain.

(transitive) To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat.

(transitive, colloquial) To make thirsty.

(transitive, archaic) To boil something slowly (Still used in Lancashire in parched peas, a type of mushy peas).

(intransitive) To become superficially burnt; be become sunburned.

Noun

parch (plural parches)

The condition of being parched.

Source: Wiktionary

Parch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Parched; p. pr. & vb. n. Parching.] Etym: [OE. perchen to pierce, hence used of a piercing heat or cold, OF. perchier, another form of percier, F. percer. See Pierce.]

1. To burn the surface of; to scorch; to roast over the fire, as dry grain; as, to parch the skin; to parch corn. Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn. Lev. xxiii. 14.

2. To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat; as, the mouth is parched from fever. The ground below is parched. Dryden.

Parch, v. i.

Definition: To become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry. "Parch in Afric sun." Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition