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

And residents in and around Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village neighborhood (and those who will doubtless make the trip) will be able to pick up batards and danishes and peerless sourdough boules on the regular. —Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026

Use it for baking sourdough bread, casseroles, chili, and more. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026

And once outrage becomes a genre, it can be dismissed as an aesthetic — something certain kinds of people do reflexively, the way others do CrossFit or sourdough. —Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Mar. 2026

That’s the whole point of sourdough. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026

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