sear

(verb) make very hot and dry. Synonyms: scorch. Example: "The heat scorched the countryside."

(verb) become superficially burned. Synonyms: scorch, singe. Example: "My eyebrows singed when i bent over the flames."

(verb) burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color. Synonyms: char, blacken, scorch. Examples: "The cook blackened the chicken breast." "The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece." "The flames scorched the ceiling."

(verb) cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat. Synonyms: parch. Example: "The sun parched the earth."

(adj) (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture. Synonyms: dried-up, sere, shriveled, shrivelled, withered. Examples: "Dried-up grass." "The desert was edged with sere vegetation." "Shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings." "Withered vines."