To burn or scorch with intense heat, often quickly to seal in juices when cooking. To cause emotional pain or to become withered.
From Old English sēarian meaning 'to become dry or withered,' related to sēar (dry, withered). The cooking sense developed in the 16th century, while the emotional meaning emerged from the metaphorical use of burning to describe intense feelings.
The culinary technique of searing doesn't actually 'seal in juices' as commonly believed - that's a myth! What searing really does is create the Maillard reaction, producing hundreds of new flavor compounds that make food taste amazing. The word beautifully captures both the intense heat and the transformative power of this cooking method.
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