# char

/ˈtʃɑɹ/ (US) · /tʃˈɑː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/char
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to burn

verb · CEFR B2

to burn the surface of something until it turns black.

For teachers: to partially burn or carbonize a surface, resulting in a blackened appearance.

- The chef decided to char the peppers over an open flame to give them a smoky flavour.
- The intense heat of the forest fire managed to char the bark of the ancient oaks without killing the trees themselves.

Usage: Often used in culinary contexts to describe a specific technique for adding flavour.

### 3. tea

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal

a very informal British word for tea.

For teachers: an informal British term for tea, derived from the Chinese word 'cha'.

- After a long day of work, all I wanted was a nice cup of char.
- The soldiers sat around the small stove, waiting for the kettle to boil so they could have some char.

Teaching tip: This term is somewhat dated and is most commonly heard in older British films or among older generations.

### 4. a type of fish

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a type of cold-water fish that is related to salmon and trout.

For teachers: any of several species of fish in the genus Salvelinus, closely related to trout and salmon.

- The lake is famous for its Arctic char, which is a popular dish in local restaurants.
- Anglers travel to these remote northern rivers specifically to catch the elusive Arctic char during the summer months.

Usage: Often appears in the compound 'Arctic char'.

### 5. a cleaner

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Archaic

a woman who is paid to clean someone's house.

For teachers: a woman employed to perform domestic cleaning tasks; a shortened form of 'charlady'.

- In the old novel, the family hired a char to come in twice a week.
- The grand house required a staff of several servants, including a char for the heavy scrubbing.

Teaching tip: This term is now considered old-fashioned and has been largely replaced by 'cleaner'.

## Examples

- The password must have eight chars.
- The software limits the title field to fifty chars to keep the layout clean.
- In Unicode encoding, a single glyph may require multiple chars, complicating text processing for languages with complex diacritics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.