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Roast vs Scorch - What's the difference?

roast | scorch |

As verbs the difference between roast and scorch

is that roast is to cook food by heating in an oven or over a fire without covering, resulting in a crisp, possibly even slightly charred appearance while scorch is to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it.

As nouns the difference between roast and scorch

is that roast is a cut of meat suited to roasting while scorch is a slight or surface burn.

As an adjective roast

is having been cooked by roasting.

roast

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (transitive, or, intransitive, or, ergative) To cook food by heating in an oven or over a fire without covering, resulting in a crisp, possibly even slightly charred appearance.
    • to roast meat on a spit
  • To cook by surrounding with hot embers, ashes, sand, etc.
    • to roast a potato in ashes
  • * Francis Bacon
    • In eggs boiled and roasted there is scarce difference to be discerned.
  • (transitive, or, intransitive, or, ergative) To process by drying through exposure to sun or artificial heat
    • Coffee beans need roasting before use.
    to roast chestnuts or peanuts
  • To heat to excess; to heat violently; to burn.
  • * Shakespeare
    • roasted in wrath and fire
  • (figuratively) To admonish someone vigorously
    • I’m late home for the fourth time this week; my mate will really roast me this time.
  • (figuratively) To subject to bantering, severely criticize, sometimes as a comedy routine.
    • The class clown enjoys being roasted by mates as well as staff.
  • (metalworking) To dissipate by heat the volatile parts of, as ores.

    • Coordinate terms

    * (to cook) bake, boil, broil, fry, grill, poach, toast

    Derived terms

    * roasting ear * roasting jack

    Noun

  • (en noun)
  • A cut of meat suited to roasting
  • A meal consisting of roast foods.
  • The degree to which something, especially coffee, is roasted.
    • Dark roast''' means that the coffee bean has been roasted to a higher temperature and for a longer period of time than in light '''roast .
  • (Originally fraternal) A comical event where a person is subjected to verbal attack, yet may be praised by sarcasm and jokes.

    • Derived terms

    * nut roast

    Adjective

    (-)
  • having been cooked by roasting
  • (figuratively) subjected to roasting, bantered, severely criticized

    • See also

    * barbecue * chargrill * grill * joint * roasties

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs

    scorch

    English

    Noun

    (es)
  • A slight or surface burn.
  • A discolouration caused by heat.
  • Brown discoloration on the leaves of plants caused by heat, lack of water or by fungi.

    • Derived terms

    * scorchy

    Verb

    (es)
  • To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it
  • To wither, parch or destroy something by heat or fire, especially to make land or buildings unusable to an enemy
  • * Prior
    • Lashed by mad rage, and scorched by brutal fires.
  • To become scorched or singed
  • To move at high speed (so as to leave scorch marks on the ground)
  • To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire.
  • * Bible, Revelations xvi. 8
    • Power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
  • * Dryden
    • the fire that scorches me to death

    References