What does parch mean?
Parch means to dry up, shrivel, or become desiccated, usually because of heat or extreme thirst. It can describe either a natural change, as when vegetation withers under a scorching sun, or the effect of an action, as when drought parches the soil. The word also has a transitive use: something can parch the skin, throat, or landscape. Although generally treated as regional or dialectal in present-day English, it is vivid in contexts where dryness is severe enough to suggest hardship or damage. Compared with the general word "dry," parch conveys a more intense and often more consequential process, especially where heat or thirst is involved. The related form "parched" is particularly common in descriptions of dry skin, cracked lips, and parched land, giving the word a strong association with exposure and deprivation.
To become dry or shriveled, especially from heat or thirst.
"The grass quickly parched under the hot wind."
Chiefly regional or dialectal in modern English.
To cause something to become dry or shriveled, especially through heat or lack of moisture.
"The long drought parched the fields."
This transitive use is chiefly regional or dialectal in modern English.
Parch preserves the vivid idea of heat or thirst turning something dry and shriveled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of parch
Parch is attested in Middle English and has continued in several regional dialects. Its earlier forms reflect an Old French source, but the precise development of the English word is not sufficiently clear to state with certainty. The modern verb preserves an older and more forceful sense of drying or withering than the now more common word "dry."
Related word forms
How parch is actually used
The verb is now chiefly regional or dialectal in modern English. In other dialects and in earlier writing, forms such as "parched" and "parching" were more common. Its force is especially appropriate for drying caused by intense heat or thirst.
Easily confused with parch
Parch means to become or make dry and shriveled, whereas perch can mean a pole, a fish, or to sit on something.