starch

verb

\ˈstärch

starched; starching; starches

Definition of starch

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to stiffen with or as if with starch

starch

noun

Definition of starch (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a white odorless tasteless granular or powdery complex carbohydrate (C₆H₁₀O₅)_x that is the chief storage form of carbohydrate in plants, is an important foodstuff, and is used also in adhesives and sizes, in laundering, and in pharmacy and medicine

2 : a stiff formal manner : formality

3 : resolute vigor

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about starch

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Examples of starch in a Sentence

Verb

He starches the collars of his shirts.

Noun

a middle-aged woman who has retained the starch of youth

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

If there's white cotton curtains in the house, bleaching and starching them while ironing are efforts that go a long way. 6. — Melissa Rolland, courant.com, "Projects That Don't Break The Bank," 19 June 2018 So to a certain extent, Apple has brilliantly taken advantage of the situation and starched their hat white. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Full transcript: NYU professor Scott Galloway answers listener questions on Too Embarrassed to Ask," 26 May 2018 With hair combed neatly to one side, and dressed almost daily in suits that aren’t so much pressed as they are vigorously starched, Becerra is dutifully methodical when performing all the typical functions as California’s attorney general. — Marcos Bretón, sacbee, "When Trump deports immigrants, California’s attorney general remembers his mom and dad," 11 Sep. 2017 Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez (Gilbert Melendez’s wife) just starched her opponent in her MMA debut. # — Jon Becker, The Mercury News, "UFC fighter Melendez’s wife taking huge MMA step," 22 May 2017 His search for something else to use summoned memories of the gooey liquid his mother had used to starch the collars of his father’s shirts. — Denise Gellene, New York Times, "Oliver Smithies, Tinkerer Who Transformed Genetics and Won a Nobel, Dies at 91," 11 Jan. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, tapioca starch and salt. — Lisa Ludwinski, WSJ, "Pies That Bind: Thanksgiving Recipes From the Heartland," 15 Nov. 2018 Food exchanges: 11/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 fat. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "5 recipes to cool things down on hot days," 27 June 2018 First the team looked for telltale starch grains (complex carbohydrates), found in most plant tissues, including cacao. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Chocolate has an even earlier origin than we thought, new study finds," 29 Oct. 2018 Researchers discovered starch granules in the tooth plaque of some of the foragers. — Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, "When Farmers and Foragers First Met," 24 Oct. 2018 For a thicker mash, use medium-starch Yukon Golds or even Purple Peruvian potatoes (which give a fun pop of color!). — Woman's Day Test Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Garlic- and Sage-Infused Mashed Potatoes," 24 Oct. 2018 Fast food is saturating every corner of the globe, meaning not just that McDonald’s is more ubiquitous but that cheap, fried starches are the most affordable way for people to feed themselves. — Abigail Higgins, Vox, "Heart disease used to be an ailment of the rich. But it’s now striking the world’s poor.," 15 Oct. 2018 Potato starch is added to commercial Spam in order to reign in moisture. — Ali Bouzari, SFChronicle.com, "Housemade: The magic of Liholiho Yacht Club," 22 June 2018 Note: Potato flour and potato starch are not the same thing. — Kristine M. Kierzek, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Polish chef wants to keep food traditions alive, will demonstrate at Polish Fest," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'starch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of starch was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for starch

starch

verb

English Language Learners Definition of starch

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to make (clothing) stiff by using starch

starch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of starch (Entry 2 of 2)

: a substance that is found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes)

: a powder or liquid that contains starch and is used to make clothing stiff

See the full definition for starch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

starch

noun

\ˈstärch

Kids Definition of starch

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a white odorless tasteless substance that is the chief form in which carbohydrates are stored in plants, is an important component of many foods (as rice and bread), and has various uses (as for stiffening clothes)

starch

verb

starched; starching

Kids Definition of starch (Entry 2 of 2)

: to stiffen with starch

starch

noun

\ˈstärch

Medical Definition of starch

: a white odorless tasteless granular or powdery complex carbohydrate (C₆H₁₀O₅)_x that is the chief storage form of carbohydrate in plants, is an important foodstuff, has demulcent and absorbent properties, and is used in pharmacy especially as a dusting powder and as a constituent of ointments and pastes