(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture
<adj.all> dried-up grass the desert was edged with sere vegetation shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings withered vines
Sear \Sear\, Sere \Sere\ (s[=e]r), a. [OE. seer, AS. se['a]r (assumed) fr. se['a]rian to wither; akin to D. zoor dry, LG. soor, OHG. sor[=e]n to wither, Gr. a"y`ein to parch, to dry, Skr. [,c]ush (for sush) to dry, to wither, Zend hush to dry. [root]152. Cf. {Austere}, {Sorrel}, a.] Dry; withered; no longer green; -- applied to leaves. --Milton.
I have lived long enough; my way of life Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf. --Shak.
Sear \Sear\, n. [F. serre a grasp, pressing, fr. L. sera. See {Serry}.] The catch in a gunlock by which the hammer is held cocked or half cocked.
{Sear spring}, the spring which causes the sear to catch in the notches by which the hammer is held.
Sear \Sear\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Seared}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Searing}.] [OE. seeren, AS. se['a]rian. See {Sear}, a.] 1. To wither; to dry up. --Shak.
2. To burn (the surface of) to dryness and hardness; to cauterize; to expose to a degree of heat such as changes the color or the hardness and texture of the surface; to scorch; to make callous; as, to sear the skin or flesh. Also used figuratively.
I'm seared with burning steel. --Rowe.
It was in vain that the amiable divine tried to give salutary pain to that seared conscience. --Macaulay.
The discipline of war, being a discipline in destruction of life, is a discipline in callousness. Whatever sympathies exist are seared. --H. Spencer.
Note: Sear is allied to scorch in signification; but it is applied primarily to animal flesh, and has special reference to the effect of heat in marking the surface hard. Scorch is applied to flesh, cloth, or any other substance, and has no reference to the effect of hardness.
{To sear up}, to close by searing. ``Cherish veins of good humor, and sear up those of ill.'' --Sir W. Temple.
To my ears, which recently heard the Arditti Quartet and friends sear their way through the original chamber version, the collective arrangement never sounds so febrile and poignant.
If the sear is not properly hardened, it may wear prematurely and the consumer may not be able to cock the airgun, the commission said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday the company is recalling its Model 3100 air rifle, which has been sold nationally since July 1986 and may contain an improperly hardened sear in its trigger.
It's not necessary to use a thermometer but "You have to be careful not to heat it so hot it will sear or deep fry the meat which would seal in the fat and cholesterol," Dr. Small said.