Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sear” come from?

Sear comes from Middle English seere, from Middle English sure, from Latin securus meaning "free from care or anxiety."

sear (English): Dry; withered, especially of vegetation; To char,...

Definitions

  1. Dry; withered, especially of vegetation; To char,...

Ancestry of “sear”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchserre—
2Old Frenchserrerto grip tightly; to shut
3Vulgar Latinserrareclose, shut; to close, shut; inflection of...
4Latinserāre—
5Latinsēra—
6Latinserō—
7Latinsērus—
8Proto-Italicswerjos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanswer-yo-s—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanswer-to ache; to fester; wound; injury

Words derived from “sear”

  • searing
  • searingly
  • searer
  • ensear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swer- →