scald
scald — verb
- scaldpresent simple I / you / we / they
- scaldshe / she / it
- scaldedpast simple
- scalding-ing form
1. to damage skin or flesh by exposing it to boiling water or hot vapour, resulting
to damage skin or flesh by exposing it to boiling water or hot vapour, resulting in redness, pain, and often blisters.
Eitan scalded his forearm when the saucepan of boiling water slipped from his hands.
scald + body part (forearm) + cause (boiling water)
The nurse told Ingrid not to let the steam scald her face while she opened the pressure cooker.
passive warning: let steam scald + body part
Kemi scalded her tongue by sipping soup that had just come off the stove.
Be careful with that kettle — toddlers can easily scald their hands if they pull the cord.
文法句型
scald + body part
be scalded by + liquid/steam
用法筆記
Often used with a specific body part as the object (hand, arm, tongue, face). The passive form is common: 'be scalded by steam / boiling water'.
常見錯誤
2. to make an object hygienic by placing it into extremely hot water or vapour so t
to make an object hygienic by placing it into extremely hot water or vapour so that germs are destroyed.
The chef scalded the chopping boards before slicing the raw fish.
scald + kitchen utensil for hygiene
Before making jam, Jiwoo scalded the glass jars in a large pot of boiling water.
scald + glass jars for preserving food
In the laboratory, Tuan scalded the tweezers in steam before handling the tissue samples.
Midwives used to scald their instruments in a pot of boiling water before delivering babies.
文法句型
scald + object + with + boiling water
用法筆記
Common in food preservation, brewing, and medical contexts. Unlike sense 1, the object here is a utensil or container, not a person.
常見錯誤
3. to warm a drink or fluid such as milk until it is nearly at boiling point but be
to warm a drink or fluid such as milk until it is nearly at boiling point but before bubbles start to form.
Walid scalded the milk for the custard, watching carefully so it would not boil over.
scald + milk for cooking
The recipe says to scald the cream before pouring it over the chocolate pieces.
recipe instruction: scald + cream
Allison scalded water in the kettle and let it cool before steeping the green tea leaves.
The barista scalded the oat milk for the latte before pouring it into the espresso.
文法句型
scald + liquid (milk, cream, water)
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for cooking and beverage preparation. The key difference from 'boil' is that scalding stops before bubbles form. Milk is the most common object of this sense.
常見錯誤
scald — noun
- scaldsingular
- scaldsplural
1. a painful wound on a person's body that happens when very hot water or vapour to
a painful wound on a person's body that happens when very hot water or vapour touches the flesh, turning the area red and often raising blisters.
The doctor examined the scald on Liam's forearm and prescribed a cooling burn cream.
treat / examine a scald
A deep scald on the palm can take weeks to heal and may leave a scar.
deep / minor scald + healing time
The first-aid poster said to run cold water over a scald for at least twenty minutes.
A cold compress helped ease the stinging pain of the scald on Ayesha's leg.
- burn
any heat injury; scald specifies liquid/steam cause
文法句型
a + adjective + scald
suffer / get / treat a scald
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'burn': a scald is specifically caused by hot liquid or steam, whereas a burn can come from fire, hot metal, sunlight, or chemicals.
常見錯誤
2. an unhealthy condition affecting plants where leaves or fruit turn brown and app
an unhealthy condition affecting plants where leaves or fruit turn brown and appear dried out, commonly resulting from intense sun exposure, bacterial infection, or poor air quality.
The apple orchard lost a third of its crop to sun scald after the heatwave.
sun scald — caused by excessive sunlight
Esme noticed brown patches on the tomato leaves and identified the problem as bacterial scald.
bacterial scald — caused by bacteria
Gardeners can prevent sun scald on young trees by wrapping the trunks with white paper.
A severe case of bacterial scald wiped out half of Caio's pepper plants in just one week.
文法句型
[crop] suffers from scald
bacterial / sun scald
用法筆記
Often preceded by a cause word such as 'sun', 'bacterial', or 'tip' (as in 'tip scald' on leaves). Not infectious between plants in the same way a virus would be.
常見錯誤
3. the process of cleaning an object by putting it in boiling water, or the process
the process of cleaning an object by putting it in boiling water, or the process of heating a liquid until it is almost boiling.
A thorough scald of the milk removes any harmful bacteria while keeping the flavour intact.
the scald of + milk
Christopher timed the scald of the teapot carefully to make sure it was fully sterilised.
the scald of + utensil (for sterilisation)
A quick scald of the baby bottles in boiling water killed any remaining germs.
The scald of the equipment is an essential step in the commercial canning process.
- sterilisation
broader term; not limited to boiling water as the method
- pasteurisation
specifically refers to heating a liquid to kill germs, usually at a controlled temperature over a set time
文法句型
the scald of + object
用法筆記
This noun sense corresponds to verb senses 2 and 3 — it can refer either to the cleaning process or the gentle-heating process depending on the context.
scald — adjective
- scaldpositive
- scaldercomparative
- scaldestsuperlative
1. (old use) having rough, dry, flaky patches on the skin, as if from a skin diseas
(old use) having rough, dry, flaky patches on the skin, as if from a skin disease.
The medieval text described a scald beggar whose arms were covered in dry, peeling skin.
archaic literary use: scald beggar
The old medical manuscript mentioned a scald rash treated with boiled nettle leaves.
archaic: scald rash in historical medicine
Archaeologists found descriptions of a scald condition in ancient healing recipes.
In the poem, the scald old soldier sat by the roadside with bandaged hands.
用法筆記
This sense is archaic and rarely used in modern English. You will only encounter it in historical texts or old literature. The modern word for this meaning is 'scabby'.
2. (old use) of very low quality or character; deserving to be treated with disresp
(old use) of very low quality or character; deserving to be treated with disrespect.
In that Victorian novel, the landlord is portrayed as a scald fellow who cheats his tenants.
archaic literary: scald fellow (despicable person)
The old play describes a scald merchant who sold rotten grain to poor families.
archaic: scald merchant (dishonest trader)
Historians found letters calling the corrupt official a scald rogue.
In folklore, the scald nobleman was always plotting against his honest brother.
- contemptible
modern equivalent; means deserving scorn
- shabby
modern equivalent for poor-quality behaviour; also used for worn-out appearance
- despicable
stronger modern term; suggests moral disgust
- honourable
having strong moral character — opposite of contemptible
用法筆記
This sense is archaic. In modern English, use 'contemptible', 'despicable', or 'shabby' instead. You are unlikely to encounter this meaning outside of historical literature.
3. having been injured by hot liquid or steam; describing someone or something that
having been injured by hot liquid or steam; describing someone or something that has suffered a scald.
The scald cat hid under the sofa after knocking over a mug of hot coffee.
scald + animal — describes a cat that was burned
Workers handled the scald pipes carefully as steam still hissed from the open valve.
scald + object — pipes subjected to scalding steam
Omar's scald forearm swelled badly after the kettle tipped over and poured hot water across his skin.
The scald skin on the patient's arm was covered with a special cooling bandage.
Workers replaced the scald pipes in the factory to prevent future steam leaks.
- burned
broader term; does not specify that the cause was hot liquid
文法句型
scald + noun (animal, person, object)
用法筆記
This adjective form is less common than the past participle 'scalded'. You are more likely to hear 'the scalded cat' than 'the scald cat', though both are grammatically correct.