Why this word is great
USTULATE — [Adjective] Blackened as if burned. From Latin ustulatus, past participle of ustulare ("to scorch"), from urere ("to burn"). Unlike "charred" (which implies actual carbonization) or "singed" (which suggests a superficial scorching at the edges), "ustulate" evokes the mere appearance of burning—a shadow of fire without its heat. It is the bark of a lightning-struck tree, the patina of an old iron skillet left too long on the flame, or the way certain autumn leaves darken as they dry, as though mourning their own decay. A word for things that wear the mark of destruction without having been destroyed.