What does scald mean?
To scald someone is to injure their skin with very hot water, oil, steam, or another hot substance. The word can also mean to heat a liquid or food until it is at or near boiling, although this use is less common than the sense of causing a burn. As a noun, a scald is the injury itself, and the expression is often heard in medical and safety contexts, as in “scald injury” or “the risk of scalding.” Scald differs from the more general word “burn” because it specifically suggests contact with a hot liquid, steam, or similar substance. The term is especially useful when describing the danger posed by boiling water, steam, cooking oil, or household appliances.
To injure by burning with hot liquid, steam, or another hot substance.
"He nearly scalded his hand on the hot pan."
Often transitive and used for a painful injury caused by a heated liquid or steam.
An injury caused by very hot liquid, steam, or another hot substance.
"The doctor treated a severe scald on her arm."
Countable and common in medical, safety, and household contexts.
The plural is scalds, as in “the report documented three scalds.”
"The report documented three scalds."
A scald can be caused by water, oil, or steam: the danger lies not only in the temperature of a liquid, but in the way heat transfers to the skin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does scald come from?
The word comes through Middle English from an Old English form associated with Germanic vocabulary. Its development reflects the longstanding distinction between being burned by heat and the more specific act of being injured by hot liquids or steam. Modern forms such as “scalded” and “scalding” continue the same Germanic root.
Related word forms
How scald is actually used
The verb is commonly transitive and often describes a brief but painful injury caused by contact with a hot liquid or steam. As a noun, “scald” is countable and is especially used in medical, safety, and domestic contexts.
Easily confused with scald
A scald is an injury caused by hot liquid or steam, whereas the scalp is the skin covering the top and back of the head.
A scald is a heat injury, while a scald in another context may refer to a crust or film forming on a heated liquid.