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Scathe vs Scorch - What's the difference?

scathe | scorch |

As nouns the difference between scathe and scorch

is that scathe is harm; damage; injury; hurt; misfortune while scorch is a slight or surface burn.

As verbs the difference between scathe and scorch

is that scathe is (archaic) to injure while scorch is to burn the surface of something so as to discolour it.

scathe

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (dialectal or obsolete) * (l), (l) (Scotland)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • Harm; damage; injury; hurt; misfortune.
    • Quotations
    * (English Citations of "scathe")

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • (archaic) To injure.
  • * Milton
    • As when heaven's fire / Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines.
  • * Washington Irving
    • Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul.

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * (l), (l), (l), (l), (l)

    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