parched; parching; parches

transitive verb

1
: to toast under dry heat
2
: to shrivel with heat
3
: to dry or shrivel with cold

intransitive verb

: to become dry or scorched

Examples of parch in a Sentence

The hot desert sun had parched the land. the heat has really parched my throat
Recent Examples on the Web The phenomenon isn’t unique to California; wildflowers can paint parched desert landscapes, mountains and grasslands in Arizona and Nevada, too, but some of the most dense and therefore spectacular displays are found in Southern California. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 Juchitán is a grueling, five-hour drive from Oaxaca City past parched Sierra Madre peaks spiked with maguey, the raw ingredient of mezcal. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2024 With the ground parched, the trees produced a smaller crop. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023 When you're parched in the wilderness, Jared Leto is (apparently) here to quench your thirst. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 30 Aug. 2023 The vegetation in the lowland areas of Maui is particularly parched this year, with below-average precipitation in the spring, and hardly any rainfall this summer. Mark Thiessen and Audrey McAvoy, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2023 But then, from 2012 to 2017, California was struck by its worst drought in recorded history, parching farmland and devastating the rural economy. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023 Each breath of dry air sucks moisture from your airways, which can leave your nose and throat parched and more prone to irritation. TIME, 24 Jan. 2024 There is no alcohol, parabens, or fragrance to irritate or dry out already parched mature skin. Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of parch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near parch

Cite this Entry

“Parch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parch. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

parch

verb
1
: to toast by dry heat
2
: to wilt with heat

More from Merriam-Webster on parch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!