From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).
Meanings
The condition of being parched.
Yet here he is, not at the head, but somewhere toward the rear of the serpentine queue wending its way through all this parch […]. 1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 64:
From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).
Meanings
(transitive) To burn the surface of, to scorch.
The sun today could parch cement.
(transitive) To roast, as dry grain.
Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 23:14:
(transitive) To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat.
They vvould go over board vvith a Rope faſtned about them, that by drenching themſelves a vvhile in the Sea, they might eaſe the internal Heat vvhich parched them; and vvhen they ſtood any of them to ſteer the Veſſel, they vvould have their Feet in a Pail of Sea VVater to refrigerate 'em. 1702, Cotton Mather, “[Book VI (Thaumaturgus: […]).] Chapter I. Christus Super Aquas: Relating Wonderful Sea Deliverances.”, in Magnalia Christi Americana: Or, the Ecclesiastical History of New-England, from Its First Planting in the Year 1620. unto the Year of Our Lord, 1698. […], London: […] Thomas Parkhurst, […], →OCLC, section VI (Sore Calamities at Sea Survived), page 5, column 2:
The patient’s mouth is parched from fever.
The last day's march was very painful, for the north wind, blowing full in their faces, parched and benumbed the men. 1857, Samuel Griswold Goodrich, A History of All Nations, page 101:
(colloquial, intransitive) To be very thirsty.
In my haste I stumbled , and fell over one of the wounded; he groaned, and prayed me for a cup of water to cool the thirst that parched him. 1828, George Croly, Salathiel: A Story of the Past, the Present, and the Future, page 65:
Whether it was the cup he drank from, or the thirst that parched him, he took no thought, but it was the sweetest drink that ever passed his lips. 1919, David Anderson, The Blue Moon: A Tale of the Flatwoods, page 245:
We're parched, hon. Could you send up an ale from the cooler?
Pete sipped RC. Bennies parched him bad. 2011, James Ellroy, The Cold Six Thousand, page 399:
Serpents bit them, thirst parched them, Amalekites assailed them. 1870 February 1, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Eagle and the Hen”, in The Sword and the Trowel, page 52:
That there had been certain couplings was only because in opening up tunnels of betrayal and shadows in forbidden bodies and imaginations, they were quenching the thirst for Artur that parched them all, that they all professed in limitless ardour. 1996, Xosé Luis Méndez Ferrín, Them and Other Stories, page 159:
They had no water on the wreck, and a consuming thirst parched them. 1882, William Dean Howells, A Woman's Reason, page 245:
(archaic, transitive) To boil something slowly (Still used in Lancashire in parched peas, a type of mushy peas).
(intransitive) To become superficially burnt; to become sunburned.
The locals watched, amused, as the tourists parched in the sun, having neglected to apply sunscreen or bring water.
cs vysušit (to dry to extremity) · ru пересыха́ть (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · ru иссуша́ть (to dry to extremity) · fi paahtaa (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · fi korventua (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · de ausdörren (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · de rösten (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · bg изсушавам (to dry to extremity) · es torrefacer (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · it scottarsi (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · ru вы́жечь (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · sa शोषयति (to dry to extremity) · el ξηραίνομαι (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · fr brûler (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · de ausdörren (to dry to extremity) · sa शोषयति (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · fr assoiffer (to make thirsty) · pt ressecar (to dry to extremity) · kw krasa (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · ru иссуша́ть (to make thirsty) · ru выжига́ть (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · cmn Mandain: 烘干 (to dry to extremity) · bg изсъхвам (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · fi korventaa (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · bg изгарям (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · cs vysušit (to make thirsty) · ru пересо́хнуть (to make thirsty) · mn хатаах (to dry to extremity) · ru пересыха́ть (to make thirsty) · el ξηραίνω (to dry to extremity) · mi torotoro (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · ru пересо́хнуть (to dry to extremity) · bg пресушавам (to make thirsty) · ru иссуши́ть (to dry to extremity) · gl abrasar (to dry to extremity) · ga tíor (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · gl secar (to make thirsty) · ca assedegar (to make thirsty) · es agostar (to dry to extremity) · fi polttaa (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · ru иссуши́ть (to make thirsty) · cs vyschnout (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · ga tíor (to dry to extremity) · it inaridire (to dry to extremity) · ru пересо́хнуть (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · cs vyprahnout (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · es dar mucha sed (to make thirsty) · gl abrasar (to become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry) · ru пересыха́ть (to dry to extremity) · fr griller (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · gl abrasar (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · cs pražit (to burn the surface of; to scorch) · it arrostire (to burn the surface of; to scorch)