The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Parch \Parch\, v. i.
   To become scorched or superficially burnt; to be very dry.
   "Parch in Afric sun." --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Parch \Parch\ (p[aum]rch), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Parched; p. pr.
   & vb. n. Parching.] [OE. perchen to pierce, hence used of a
   piercing heat or cold, OF. perchier, another form of percier,
   F. percer. See Pierce.]
   1. To burn the surface of; to scorch; to roast over the fire,
      as dry grain; as, to parch the skin; to parch corn.
      [1913 Webster]

            Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn. --Lev.
                                                  xxiii. 14.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat; as, the mouth
      is parched from fever.
      [1913 Webster]

            The ground below is parched.          --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

parch
    v 1: cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat; "The sun
         parched the earth" [syn: parch, sear]