Burned or injured by hot liquid or steam, usually boiling water.
From Old French 'escaude,' from Latin 'excaldus' (excessively hot). The 'sc' sound comes from Latin influences in Romance languages becoming English through Norman French.
Scalding is particularly dangerous because boiling water transfers heat faster than dry heat—your body doesn't have time to pull away, which is why steam burns from a kettle are worse than touching a hot pan at the same temperature.
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