singe

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

singe, v. t. [OE. sengen, AS. sengan in besengan (akin to D. zengen, G. sengen), originally, to cause to sing, fr. AS. singan to sing, in allusion to the singing or hissing sound often produced when a substance is singed, or slightly burned. See Sing.].

•  To burn slightly or superficially; to burn the surface of; to burn the ends or outside of; as, to singe the hair or the skin.  [1913 Webster]

  "You sulphurous and thought-executing fires, . . .
  Singe my white head!"  [1913 Webster]

  "I singed the toes of an ape through a burning glass."  [1913 Webster]
•  To remove the nap of (cloth), by passing it rapidly over a red-hot bar, or over a flame, preliminary to dyeing it.  [1913 Webster]

singe, n. 

 A burning of the surface; a slight burn.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

singe, v. & n.
--v. (singeing)
1 tr. & intr. burn superficially or lightly.
2 tr. burn the bristles or down off (the carcass of a pig or fowl) to prepare it for cooking.
3 tr. burn off the tips of (the hair) in hairdressing.
--n. a superficial burn.

Idiom

singe one's wings suffer some harm esp. in a risky attempt.

Etymology

OE sencgan f. WG

THESAURUS

singe

attaint, bedaub, besmear, besmirch, besmoke, bestain, blacken, blaze, blister, blur, brand, burn, burn in, burn off, cast, cauterize, char, coal, crack, cupel, darken, daub, dirty, discolor, flame, found, mark, mat burn, oxidate, oxidize, parch, pyrolyze, scald, scorch, sear, second-degree burn, slubber, slur, smear, smirch, smoke, soil, solder, stain, stigmatize, sunburn, sunscald, swinge, taint, tarnish, third-degree burn, torrefy, vesicate, vulcanize, weld, windburn

ROGET THESAURUS

singe

Calefaction

VB heat, warm, chafe, stive, foment, make hot, sun oneself, sunbathe, go up in flames, burn to the ground (flame), fire, set fire to, set on fire, kindle, enkindle, light, ignite, strike a light, apply the match to, apply the torch to, rekindle, relume, fan the flame, add fuel to the flame, poke the fire, stir the fire, blow the fire, make a bonfire of, melt, thaw, fuse, liquefy, burn, inflame, roast, toast, fry, grill, singe, parch, bake, torrefy, scorch, brand, cauterize, sear, burn in, corrode, char, calcine, incinerate, smelt, scorify, reduce to ashes, burn to a cinder, commit to the flames, consign to the flames, boil, digest, stew, cook, seethe, scald, parboil, simmer, do to rags, take fire, catch fire, blaze.