scald

verb

1. To burn with hot liquid.

   “to scald the hand”

   “Mine own tears / Do scald like molten lead.”

   “Here the blue flames of scalding brimstone fall.”

   “The fireman was scalded by steam, but he did not fare so badly as the enemy pilot, whose dead body was found on a bank about 100 yd. away from the train.”

2. To heat almost to boiling.

   “Scald the milk until little bubbles form.”

noun

1. A burn, or injury to the skin or flesh, by hot liquid or steam.
2. A paste, made by mixing flour with hot or boiling water (causing starches in it to gelatinize and hold more water) and allowing that mixture to sit and cool, which is added to bread dough to produce a softer bread that takes longer to stale.

   “[…] stir in the flour by hand, and afterwards add the boiling water, and stir vigorously as already described for Virgin barm. The scald should not be so stiff as for Virgin, and should taste sweet when newly made.”

   “THE NIGHT BEFORE: MIX THE LEAVEN AND PREPARE THE SCALD. [...] mix the rye starter with the whole rye flour and room temperature water. Cover with a lid and let rest overnight, or 8 to 10 hours. Make the scald[:] In a 1-pint deli container (or similar container), combine the dark rye flour and boiling water and mix thoroughly until there is no dry flour. [...] let rest overnight […]”

3. (Appalachia)Poor or bad land.
4. (obsolete, uncountable)Scaliness; a scabby skin disease.

   “Her craftie head was altogether bald, / And as in hate of honorable eld, / Was ouergrowne with scurfe and filthy scald[…].”

   “Some heale Horses, some cure men, some the plague, some the scald [translating teigne], some the cough, some one kinde of scab, and some another[…].”

5. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of skald.

   “The fire was spreading rapidly through all parts of the castle, when Ulrica, who had first kindled it, appeared on a turret, in the guise of one of the ancient furies, yelling forth a war-song, such as was of yore chaunted on the field of battle by the scalds of the yet heathen Saxons.”

adj

1. (obsolete)Affected with the scab; scabby.

   “and let us knog our / prains together to be revenge on this same scald, scurvy, / cogging companion,”

2. (obsolete)Paltry; worthless.

   “Would it not grieue a King to be so abuſ’d? And haue a thouſand horſmen tane away? And which is worſe to haue his Diadem Sought for by ſuch ſcalde knaues as loue him not?”

   “Saucy lictors / Will catch at us like strumpets, and scald rhymers / Ballad us out o' tune.”