chamuscar

to scorch

chamuscar(chah-moos-kahr)

transitive verb

1. (to damage)

a. to scorch (skin, cloth, wood)

Se ve cómo el fuego chamuscó la puerta.

You can see how the fire scorched the door.

b. to singe (hair, feathers)

El fuego le chamuscó el vello del brazo izquierdo.

The fire singed the hair on his left arm.

c. to burn (less superficially)

Tuve un accidente con cera caliente y me chamuscó la piel de las manos.

I had an accident with some hot wax and it burned the skin on my hands.

chamuscarse

pronominal verb

2. (to suffer heat damage)

a. to get scorched (skin, cloth)

Se van a chamuscar las toallas si las pones a secar tan cerca de la estufa.

The towels will get scorched if you leave them to dry so close to the heater.

b. to get singed (hair, feathers)

Al gato le gusta calentarse al lado del fuego y por eso a veces se le chamusca el pelo.

The cat likes warming himself by the fire, so his fur sometimes gets singed.

c. to get burned (food)

No estaba atenta, y dejé que se chamuscaran las tostadas.

I wasn't paying attention and I let the toast get burned.

d. to burn (food)

Se chamuscaron las papas mientras estaba hablando por teléfono.

The potatoes burned while I was on the phone.

3. (to hurt or damage)

a. to singe (hair, feathers)

Puse la mano muy cerca de la llama y me chamusqué el vello del brazo.

I put my hand too close to the flame and singed the hair on my arm.

b. to burn (less superficially)

Ernesto se chamuscó el dedo al tocar la cacerola.

Ermesto burned his finger when he touched the pot.