From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
sear
adj 1: (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture;
"dried-up grass"; "the desert was edged with sere
vegetation"; "shriveled leaves on the unwatered
seedlings"; "withered vines" [syn: dried-up, sere,
sear, shriveled, shrivelled, withered]
v 1: make very hot and dry; "The heat scorched the countryside"
[syn: sear, scorch]
2: become superficially burned; "my eyebrows singed when I bent
over the flames" [syn: scorch, sear, singe]
3: burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color; "The
cook blackened the chicken breast"; "The fire charred the
ceiling above the mantelpiece"; "the flames scorched the
ceiling" [syn: char, blacken, sear, scorch]
4: cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat; "The sun
parched the earth" [syn: parch, sear]