English verb: blacken | |||
1. | blacken (change) make or become black | ||
Samples | The smoke blackened the ceiling. The ceiling blackened. | ||
Synonyms | black, melanise, melanize, nigrify | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | color, colour, discolor, discolour | ||
Antonyms | white, whiten | ||
2. | blacken (change) burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color | ||
Samples | The cook blackened the chicken breast. The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece. The flames scorched the ceiling. | ||
Synonyms | char, scorch, sear | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | burn | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | singe, swinge | ||
Domain category | cookery, cooking, preparation | ||