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Sear vs Roast - What's the difference?

sear | roast |

As adjectives the difference between sear and roast

is that sear is dry; withered, especially of vegetation while roast is having been cooked by roasting.

As verbs the difference between sear and roast

is that sear is to char, scorch, or burn the surface of something with a hot instrument while roast is (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.

As nouns the difference between sear and roast

is that sear is a scar produced by searing while roast is a cut of meat suited to roasting.

sear

English

Alternative forms

* (l) * (l)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) seer, seere, from (etyl) .

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Dry; withered, especially of vegetation.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) seeren, seren, from (etyl) , Greek hauos'' ("dry"), Sanskrit ''s?sa'' ("drought"). The use in firearms terminology may relate to French ''serrer ("to grip").

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To char, scorch, or burn the surface of something with a hot instrument.
  • To wither; to dry up.
  • (Shakespeare)
  • (figurative) To mark permanently, as if by burning.
  • The events of that day were seared into her memory.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A scar produced by searing
  • Part of a gun that retards the hammer until the trigger is pulled.
  • Anagrams

    * ----

    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