singe
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++singe1 /sɪndʒ/ verb (singed, singeing) [intransitive, transitive] BURNto burn the surface of something slightly, or to be burned slightly （把） 表面〕略微烧焦 The flames had singed her hair. 火焰燎了她的头发。► see thesaurus at burn→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
singe• The rug was singed by a piece of burning coal that had fallen from the fire.• The heat was so intense that it singed our hair.• The flames were hot enough to singe your eyebrows.singe2 noun [countable] MARKa mark on the surface of something where it has been burned slightly 轻微烧焦的痕迹Origin singe Old English sengansinge1 verbsinge2 nounChinese
of something to the slightly, Corpus be or to surface burn
singe
singe1 /sɪndʒ/ 
verb (past tense and past participle singed, present participle singeing) [intransitive and transitive]
The flames had singed her hair.
■ to burn something
▪burn to damage or destroy something with fire or heat: She lit a fire and burned his letters one by one.
▪set fire to something (also set something on fire ) to make something start burning so that it gets damaged: Vandals set fire to an empty warehouse. | Teresa wondered if the burning log might set fire to the curtains. | The Vikings attacked villages along the coast and set them on fire. | Sparks from the fireplace could easily set the curtains on fire.
▪scorch to damage the surface of something by burning it so that a dark mark is left on it: Having the iron on a very high heat can scorch the fabric. | The heater was left on all night and it scorched the wall.
▪singe /sɪndʒ/ to damage hair, wool, paper etc by burning it slightly so that the ends or edges are burnt: The flames were hot enough to singe your eyebrows.
▪scald to burn your skin with very hot liquid or steam: The coffee was so hot it nearly scalded his tongue. | It’s easy to knock a pan off the stove and scald yourself. | He was scalded by steam escaping from the broken pipe.
▪ignite technical to make something start to burn, especially something that burns easily such as a gas or chemical: The gas is ignited by an electrical spark. | It appears he threw away a lit cigarette which ignited the petrol spilt on the ground.
singe2 noun [countable]
a mark on the surface of something where it has been burned slightly
| I |
verb (past tense and past participle singed, present participle singeing) [intransitive and transitive] Language: Old English
Origin: sengan
to burn the surface of something slightly, or to be burned slightly:Origin: sengan
| THESAURUS |
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| II |
noun [countable]a mark on the surface of something where it has been burned slightly
burn to damage, injure, destroy or kill sb/sth with fire, heat or acid; to be damaged, etc. by fire, heat or acid 指烧（或灼）坏、烧（或灼）伤、烧（或灼）死 ：◆ She burned all his letters. 她把他的信全部付之一炬。 ◆ The house burned down in 1995.那所房子在 1995 年烧毁了。 char [ 指（使）烧黑、烧焦 ：◆ The bodies had been charred beyond recognition. 这些尸体已烧焦，无法辨认。 scald to burn part of your body with very hot liquid or steam 指被高温液体或气体烫伤 scorch to burn and slightly damage a surface by making it too hot 指把物体表面烫坏、烧煳、烤焦 ：◆ I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。 singe to burn the surface of sth slightly, usually by mistake; to be burnt in this way 尤指不小心把物体表面烤焦、烫煳 ：◆ He singed his hair as he tried to light his cigarette. 他点烟时把头发给燎了。
scorch or singe? 用 scorch 还是 singe？
Things are scorched by heat or fire. Things can only besinged by fire or a flame.* scorch 指高温烫坏或火烧煳；singe 仅指火或火舌烧焦。
Patterns
to burn/scald yourself/your hand to burn/scorch/singe your hair/clothes burnt out/charred/scorched remains/ruins/buildings