char
/tʃɑːr/ (bre, ipa) · /tʃɑːr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈchär/ (ame, mw) · /tʃɑː(r)/ (bre, ipa)
char — verb
- charpresent simple I / you / we / they
- chars3rd person singular
- charring-ing form
- charredpast simple
1. to make the surface of something turn black by burning it, or for a surface to b
to make the surface of something turn black by burning it, or for a surface to become black from fire or intense heat
Yara's toast was already charred on both sides when she took it out.
passive: be charred (past participle)
The flames charred the old barn's roof before the firefighters arrived.
If you leave steak on the grill too long, it will char and turn black.
The wooden fence was completely charred after the garden shed caught fire.
Leila accidentally charred the chicken by leaving it over a high flame.
文法句型
char + noun (object)
noun + char
be charred
用法筆記
This sense works both transitively (you char something) and intransitively (something chars). The passive form 'be charred' is extremely common when describing fire damage or overcooked food.
2. to earn money by cleaning and tidying someone's house or office on a regular bas
to earn money by cleaning and tidying someone's house or office on a regular basis
Hana chars for three different families to help pay for her university studies.
collocation: char for [someone]
Tomás's mother used to char at the local school after her children grew up.
In the 1960s, women in this area often charred for wealthy city families.
Yusuf's aunt has been charring at the Baker Street office for twenty years.
- clean
much broader in meaning; char specifically refers to paid domestic or office cleaning
文法句型
char + for + someone
char + at + place
用法筆記
This verb is intransitive only — you cannot 'char a house.' It is mainly British and is considered somewhat old-fashioned today. The related noun 'charwoman' (or 'char' for short) is more frequent than the verb.
char — noun
- charsingular
- charsplural
1. a woman whose paid work is cleaning and tidying houses, offices, or other buildi
a woman whose paid work is cleaning and tidying houses, offices, or other buildings — a term that sounds old-fashioned in modern British English
In old British novels, a char often arrives before dawn to scrub the floors.
Greta's grandmother worked as a char in a large London hotel after the war.
old-fashioned UK term for a cleaning woman
The building's char knew every corner and took great pride in her work.
Wen's great-aunt found work as a char for an Edinburgh lawyer in the 1950s.
用法筆記
This noun is very rare in modern everyday British English — most people now say 'cleaner' instead. The full form 'charwoman' is even more old-fashioned. The same word is used as a short form in historical writing or period fiction.