sere adj.

Middle English seren, from Old English searian (intransitive), of plants, "dry up, to wither, become shriveled" (a sense now rare or obsolete), from Proto-Germanic *saurajan (source also of Middle Dutch soor "dry," Old High German soren "become dry"), from root of sear "dried up, withered" (see sere).

The transitive meaning "cause to wither, make dry" is from early 15c. The meaning "to brand, to burn by hot iron" is recorded from c. 1400, originally especially of cauterizing wounds; the figurative use from this, "deaden, deprive of sensibility" is from 1580s. The cookery sense of "dry or wither (meat, etc.) by application of heat, scorch the surface of" is recent. Related: Seared; searing.

early 14c., of persons, manner, etc., "harsh, severe; grim, fierce," from Old French austere "strict, severe, harsh, cruel" (13c., Modern French austère) and directly from Latin austerus "dry, harsh, sour, tart," from Greek austeros "bitter, harsh," especially "making the tongue dry" (originally used of fruits, wines), metaphorically "austere, harsh," from PIE root *saus- "dry" (see sere (adj.)).

From late 14c. as "severe, rigid;" by 1590s as "unadorned, simple in style, without luxuries;" by 1660s as "grave, sober." The classical literal sense of "sour, harsh" (1540s) is rare in English. Related: Austerely; austereness.

"reddish- or yellowish-brown, chestnut-colored," especially of horses, mid-14c., sorel, (mid-12c. as a surname), from Old French sorel, from sor "yellowish-brown," probably from Frankish *saur "dry," or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *sauza- (source also of Middle Dutch soor "dry," Old High German soren "to become dry," Old English sear "withered, barren;" see sere). Perhaps it is a French diminutive form.