Meanings
singe1
present singular third person singes · participle present singeing · participle past singed · past singed
- transitiveTo burn slightly.
made combustible by Flame They treat of, we have pretty Game, For they their own Tail Singe, to save Us
1702, Sir Roger L’Estrange, “The First Viſion of the Algouazil (or Catchpole) Poſſest”, in The Viſions of Dom Franciſco de Quevedo-Villegas'^([21]) - transitiveTo remove the nap of (cloth), by passing it rapidly over a red-hot bar, or over a flame, preliminary to dyeing it.
- transitiveTo remove the hair or down from (a plucked chicken, etc.) by passing it over a flame.
singe2
present singular third person singes · participle present singing · past sange · participle past sunge
- obsoleteObsolete form of sing.
[H]ere’s a couple of Syrenicall raſcals ſhall inchaunt yee: What ſhall they ſinge my good Lorde?
c. 1603 (date written), Iohn Marston, The Malcontent, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for William Aspley, […], published 1604, →OCLC, Act III, scene iv2 more examples
Then ſange Iudith this ſonge vnto the LORDE: Begynne vnto the LORDE vpon the tabrettes, ſinge vnto the LORDE vpon the cymbals.
1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Judith xvj:[1–2], folio xxix, versoLo I the man, whoſe Muſe whilome did maske, / As time her taught in lowly Sheapards weeds, / Am now enforſt a far unfitter taske, / For trumpets ſterne to change mine oaten reeds, / And ſinge of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds[…]
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 1
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*senk-“to burn”
- Proto-West Germanic*sangijan“to burn, torch”
- Old Englishsenġan
- Middle Englishsengen
- Englishsinge
From Middle English sengen, from Old English senġan, sænċġan (“to singe, burn slightly, scorch, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *sangijan (“to burn, torch”), from Proto-Indo-European *senk- (“to burn”). Cognate with West Frisian singe, sinzje (“to singe”), Saterland Frisian soange (“to singe”), Dutch zengen (“to singe, scorch”), German Low German sengen (“to singe”), German sengen (“to singe, scorch”), Icelandic sangur (“singed, burnt, scorched”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian изгарям, опърлям
- изгарям (izgarjam)to burn slightly
- опърлям (opărljam)to remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
Chinese Mandarin 燒灼 /烧灼, 燒焦 /烧焦
- 燒灼 /烧灼 (shāozhuó)to burn slightly
- 燒焦 /烧焦 (shāojiāo)to burn slightly
Czech ožehnout, lehce popálit
- ožehnoutto burn slightly
- lehce popálitto burn slightly
- ožehovatto remove the nap of cloth by heat
- požehovatto remove the nap of cloth by heat
- opálitto remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
- ožehnutía slight burn
- ožeha slight burn
Danish svide
- svideto remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
Dutch aanbranden
- aanbrandento burn slightly
Finnish kärventää, kärventää
- kärventääto burn slightly
- kärventääto remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
- kärähdyttääto remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
French roussir
- roussirto burn slightly
German ansengen, versengen
- ansengento burn slightly
- versengento burn slightly
- absengento remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
Hebrew חרך, הבהב
- חרך (kharákh)to burn slightly
- הבהב (hivhév)to remove the nap of cloth by heat
- הבהב (hivhév)to remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
Hungarian pörköl
- pörkölto burn slightly
Icelandic svíða, brenna
- svíðato burn slightly
- brennato burn slightly
- sviðnato burn slightly
- brenna lítillegato burn slightly
Irish tíor
- tíorto burn slightly
Italian scottare, bruciacchiare
- scottareto burn slightly
- bruciacchiareto burn slightly
Japanese 焦がす
- 焦がす (kogasu)to burn slightly
Korean 그슬리다
- 그슬리다 (geuseullida)to burn slightly
Latin adūrō, sēmustulō
- adūrōto burn slightly
- sēmustulōto burn slightly
Māori ngunu, hunuhunu
- ngunuto burn slightly
- hunuhunuto burn slightly
- whakapākākāto burn slightly
- tāinato burn slightly
- tāinato remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
Norwegian svi
- svito burn slightly
Polish przypalać, przypalić
- przypalaćto burn slightly
- przypalićto burn slightly
Portuguese chamuscar
- chamuscarto burn slightly
Romanian pârli, pârli
- pârlito burn slightly
- pârlito remove the hair from skin by passing over a flame
Russian подпа́ливать, опаля́ть
- подпа́ливать (podpálivatʹ)to burn slightly
- опаля́ть (opaljátʹ)to burn slightly
- пали́ть (palítʹ)to burn slightly
Spanish chamuscar, flamear
- chamuscarto burn slightly
- flamearto burn slightly
Swedish sveda
- svedato burn slightly
Turkish ütmek
- ütmekto burn slightly
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with singe
Anagrams
Cite this entry
singe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singe
“singe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singe. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “singe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singe.
Source: singe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.