Char, Charr (?), n. [Ir. cear, Gael. ceara, lit., red, blood-colored, fr. cear blood. So named from its red belly.] Zool.
One of the several species of fishes of the genus Salvelinus, allied to the spotted trout and salmon, inhabiting deep lakes in mountainous regions in Europe. In the United States, the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is sometimes called a char.
© Webster 1913.
Char, n. [F.]
A car; a chariot.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
© Webster 1913.
Char (?), n. [OE. cherr, char a turning, time, work, AS. cerr, cyrr, turn, occasion, business, fr. cerran, cyrran, to turn; akin to OS. kerian, OHG. cheran, G. kehren. Cf. Chore, Ajar.]
Work done by the day; a single job, or task; a chore.
[Written also
chare.] [Eng.]
When thou hast done this chare, I give thee leave
To play till doomsday.
Shak.
© Webster 1913.
Char, Chare, v. t. [See 3d Char.]
1.
To perform; to do; to finish. [Obs.]
Nores.
Thet char is chared, as the good wife said when she had hanged her husband.
Old Proverb.
2. To work or hew, as stone.
Oxf. Gloss.
© Webster 1913.
Char, Chare, v. i.
© Webster 1913.
Char (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Charred (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Charring.] [Prob. the same word as char to perform (see Char, n.), the modern use coming from charcoal, prop. coal-turned, turned to coal.]
1.
To reduce to coal or carbon by exposure to heat; to reduce to charcoal; to burn to a cinder.
2.
To burn slightly or partially; as, to char wood.
© Webster 1913.