torrefy

/ˈtɒ.ɹɪ.faɪ/

Etymology

From Latin torrefaciō.

torrefy means to subject to intense heat; to parch, to roast. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.

Why this word is great

TORREFY — [Verb] To roast or parch with a dry, intense heat, driving out moisture to transform a substance, as in the preparation of coffee beans or ores. From the Latin torrefacere, from torrere ("to parch, scorch") + facere ("to make, do"). Unlike "toast" (which aims for a crisp, edible surface) or "incinerate" (which aims for total, ashen destruction), to torrefy is a controlled, alchemical application of fire. It is the hissing crackle of green coffee beans turning to fragrant mahogany in the drum, the kiln driving the last vestige of dampness from clay, and the sun-blasted clay of a riverbed crazed into a mosaic of thirst. A necessary violence, it prepares the raw for use by driving out all that is soft and uncommitted—a reminder that most creation is merely a postponed ruin.

verb

To subject to intense heat; to parch, to roast.