parching

parching (comparative more parching, superlative most parching)

1. Capable of causing something to parch.
   • 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid:

     The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. […] Drifts of yellow vapour, fiery, parching, stinging, filled the air.

2. (of thirst) Extreme.
   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4

     I began also to feel very hungry, as not having eaten for twenty-four hours; and worse than that, there was a parching thirst and dryness in my throat, and nothing with which to quench it.

parching

1. present participle of parch

parching (plural parchings)

1. The process of parching or roasting something, such as corn.
   • 1917, Studies in the Social Sciences (issue 9, page 20)

     I have already told how we parched sunflower seed; and that I used two or three double-handfuls of seed to a parching. I used two parchings of sunflower seed for one mess of four-vegetables-mixed.

2. The condition of being parched; absolute dryness.
   • 1797, Icelandic Poetry: Or The Edda of Sæmund (page 95)

     Squalid youths with ghastly grin,
     In hollow bitter roots shall bring,
     Urine of the unsav'ry goat,
     To quell the parchings of thy throat.