sourdough

noun

sour·​dough ˈsau̇(-ə)r-ˌdō 

sense 1 is also -ˈdō

1

: a leaven consisting of dough in which fermentation is active

2

[from the use of sourdough for making bread in prospectors' camps] : a veteran inhabitant and especially an old-time prospector of Alaska or northwestern Canada

Examples of sourdough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But baker Éric Kayser, who built a mini empire of 370 bakeries around the world on the strength of his signature tradition baguette made with liquid sourdough starter, makes an interesting point about specialty breads that are taking the capital by storm. —Vivian Song, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025

That led to Elliott’s love affair with sourdough. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025

This means that compared to other breads, sourdough is low on the glycemic index, a classification system that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods on a scale of 0-100 according to their impact on blood sugar levels. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 6 Nov. 2025

Day-old sourdough bread is the trick to a tasty topping with pecans. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sourdough

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

sourdough

noun

sour·​dough ˈsau̇(ə)r-ˌdō 

1

: a dough in which fermentation is active and which is used to start fermentation in other dough (as in making bread)

2

: an old-time prospector in Alaska or northwestern Canada