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
charred; charring
2
: to burn slightly or partly : scorch
the fire charred the beams
: to become charred
plural chars
1
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
David PazmiñoExamples 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
Logan Holland, People.com, 25 July 2025
The Cram Fire, which has become the nation's largest wildfire this year, has charred 150 square miles of land, an area larger than the size of Las Vegas.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 21 July 2025
Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
When subjected to flame, this mineral creates a char barrier that halts flames from progressing.
—Julia Forbes, Wired News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for char
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Verb
To elevate the presentation with a bit of Vegas spectacle, a sprig of rosemary is set on fire and charred to add a smokey, inviting scent.
—Logan Holland, People.com, 25 July 2025
The Cram Fire, which has become the nation's largest wildfire this year, has charred 150 square miles of land, an area larger than the size of Las Vegas.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 21 July 2025
Noun
Standouts include lamb ragout, beef bourguignon, pork fricassee with lyonnaise potatoes, and Southeast Asian favorites like nasi lemak with rendang chicken or char siew wonton mee.
—Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
When subjected to flame, this mineral creates a char barrier that halts flames from progressing.
—Julia Forbes, Wired News, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for char
Cite this Entry
“Char.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/char. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
char
1 of 3 noun
plural char or chars
: any of a genus of trouts that have small scales and include the common brook trout
char
3 of 3 noun
: charcoal
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