A plant struggles in parched ground.
- An example of parch is to dry out your throat after running six miles in the desert.
- An example of parch is dehydrating banana slices.
Parch is defined as to be thirsty, dry out or expose to extreme heat.
- to expose (corn, peas, etc.) to great heat so as to dry or roast slightly
- to dry up with heat; make hot and dry
- to make very thirsty
- to dry up and shrivel with cold
Origin of parchMiddle English perchen from uncertain or unknown; perhaps
to become very dry, hot, thirsty, etc.
verbparched, parch·ing, parch·es
- To make extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat: The midsummer sun parched the earth. See Synonyms at dry.
- To dry or roast (corn, for example) by exposing to heat.
To become very dry.
Origin of parchMiddle English parchen
(third-person singular simple present parches, present participle parching, simple past and past participle parched)
- To burn the surface of, to scorch.
- The sun today could parch cement.
- To roast, as dry grain.
- To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat.
- The patient's mouth is parched from fever.
- (colloquial) To make thirsty.
- We're parched, hon. Could you send up an ale from the cooler?
- (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.
- The locals watched, amused, as the tourists parched in the sun, having neglected to apply sunscreen or bring water.
- The condition of being parched.