flour

¹flour

noun \ˈflau̇(-ə)r\

Definition of FLOUR

1

: a product consisting of finely milled wheat; also : a similar product made from another grain or food product (as dried potatoes or fish)

2

: a fine soft powder

— flour·less adjective

— floury \-ē\ adjective

Examples of FLOUR

1. a five-pound bag of flour
2. mix the two flours together

Origin of FLOUR

Middle English — more at flower

First Known Use: 13th century

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

²flour

verb

Definition of FLOUR

transitive verb

: to coat with or as if with flour

intransitive verb

: to break up into particles

Examples of FLOUR

1. The fish should be lightly floured before it's fried.

First Known Use of FLOUR

circa 1657

Rhymes with FLOUR

bower, dower, flower, glower, lower, power, scour, shower, sour, Stour, tour, tower

flour

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Finely ground cereal grain or other starchy portions of plants. Flour, especially wheat flour, is a basic ingredient of baked goods (see baking). In the production of refined flour, the starchy endosperm is separated from the other parts of the kernel by milling through rollers. In the production of whole-wheat flour, all parts of the kernel are used. Following milling, the particles of endosperm (called semolina) are ground to flour and often bleached to imitate natural aging. Flour grades are based on the residual amount of branny particles. When flour is mixed with water to make dough, its protein content is converted to gluten, an elastic substance that forms a continuous network throughout the dough and is capable of retaining gas, thus causing the baked product to expand, or rise.