Definition of SUNBURN

sunburn

Plural: sunburns

Noun

  • a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun
  • redness of the skin caused by exposure to the rays of the sun
  • A burn on the skin caused by excess exposure to the sun's rays.
  • A burn on the tissue of crop plants or their fruits (especially if they are rich in water like tomatoes, grapes, apples, gooseberries) caused by excess exposure to the sun's rays.
  • Suntan.

Verb

Verb Forms: sunburned, sunburnt, sunburning, sunburns

  • To become burned or discolored by excessive sun exposure.
  • get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun
  • To receive a sunburn.
  • To burn or tan (someone's skin) by the sun; to allow (a part of one's body) to become sunburnt.

Examples

  • His ego might sunburn after that crushing defeat in Words With Friends.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English *sunne burnen, *sonne brennen, *sunne brennen (suggested by derivatives sonne brennynge, sunne brennynge (“sunburn”, literally “sun-burning”) and sunne brente (“sunburnt”), equivalent to sun + burn. Compare West Frisian sinnebrân (“sunburn”), Dutch zonnebrand (“sunburn”), German Sonnenbrand (“sunburn”), Swedish solbränna (“sunburn”), and Icelandic sólbruni (“sunburn”), as well as Old English sunbryne (“sunburn”).

Synonyms

burn, erythema solare, suntan, tan, sunscald

Scrabble Score: 9

sunburn: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
sunburn: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
sunburn: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 14

sunburn: valid Words With Friends Word