parch UK /pɑːtʃ/US /pɑɹt͡ʃ/verb 6noun 1forms 3 verb6 •To burn the surface of, to scorch.The sun today could parch cement. •To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat.The patient’s mouth is parched from fever. •(informal) To be very thirsty.We're parched, hon. Could you send up an ale from the cooler? •To roast, as dry grain.Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn. — 1611 •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. •(no longer used) To boil something slowly (Still used in Lancashire in parched peas, a type of mushy peas). noun1 •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 formsparched · parching · parches
