Starch

/stɑːrtʃ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A carbohydrate, a white, odorless, tasteless powder that is insoluble in cold water, used as a thickening agent in cooking and is a primary source of energy for many organisms.

Potatoes are rich in starch and provide a significant source of energy.

A polysaccharide that occurs in many plants and is used to store energy.

Corn starch is commonly used in baking and cooking to thicken sauces.

A substance used to stiffen clothes, especially in laundry.

She added starch to the laundry to make her shirts crisper.

verb

To treat fabric with a starch substance to make it stiff.

After washing the shirts, he decided to starch them for a formal occasion.

To supply or provide starch to something.

You should starch the curtains to keep them looking neat and tidy.

Etymology

Middle English sterche, from Old French esferch, from Latin starcus, from Greek starchus.

Common Phrases and Expressions

starch solution

A mixture of starch and water used in cooking or to thicken liquids.

starch out

To make something stiff or formal, particularly in the context of clothing.

starch up

To increase the stiffness of food, particularly when cooking.

Related Words

carbohydrate

Organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are essential for energy.

glucose

A simple sugar that is an important energy source in living organisms.

Slang Meanings

To starch someone

When he won the debate, he really starched his opponents.

Starch it up

Let's starch it up for the party tonight!