Scald
/skɔːld/
verbnounB1
Definition
Scald means to burn the skin or surface with hot water, steam, or another hot liquid. It is usually a sudden and painful burn. As a noun, a scald is the burn injury caused by this heat.
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See It in Action
Verb: To burn with hot liquid or steam
- •Be careful not to scald yourself with boiling water.
- •She scalded her hand when the coffee spilled.
- •The steam can scald your skin if you get too close.
Noun: A burn caused by hot liquid or steam
- •He has a scald on his arm from the hot soup.
- •The child suffered a scald after touching the hot bath water.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'scald' like 'burn' (A1 word), but it specifically means burning with hot water or steam, not fire.
- ✓Picture spilling hot tea or water on your hand and feeling a quick, sharp pain.
- ✓It's the feeling when you accidentally touch a hot cup or get steam from cooking on your skin.
- ✓Sounds like 'called' → Imagine someone calling for help quickly after touching something very hot.
- ✓In stories, scalds happen in kitchens or bathrooms when people are careless with hot liquids.
- ✓NOT like 'burn' from fire or flame, 'scald' is from hot liquids or steam.
- ✓NOT like 'freeze' which is cold damage, scald is heat damage.
- ✓NOT like 'toast' or 'char' which are slow, dry heat burns; scald is quick and wet heat.
Try Other Words
- •Burn: injure by heat or fire (Use when the heat source is not specifically liquid or steam)
- •Sear: burn the surface quickly (Use for very hot dry heat, like cooking meat)
- •Injure: cause harm or damage (Use for general harm, less specific than scald)
- •Fry: cook in hot oil (Use in cooking context, not for injury)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix) root word 'scald'
- •Etymology: From Old English 'sceald' meaning 'burn with hot liquid'
- •Historical development: Used since early English times to describe burns from hot liquids or steam
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in medical and everyday language for injuries caused by hot water, steam, or other liquids
- •Key insight: Always connected to heat damage from liquids or steam, not fire or dry heat
Reflect & Connect
•Have you ever experienced a scald? How did it feel different from touching something hot but dry?
•Why do you think it is important to have a special word for burns caused by hot liquids?
Fill in the blanks
1.You can ___ yourself if you pour boiling water too quickly.
2.A scald often happens in the kitchen when someone accidentally touches ___ liquid.
3.Unlike a dry burn, a scald comes from ___ or steam.
4.To avoid a scald, always check the temperature of ___ before touching.
5.When she ___ her hand, she quickly ran it under cold water.
6.A scald usually causes pain and ___ on the skin.
7.If you see a child with a scald, you should ___ the area with cool water immediately.