Flour: meaning, definitions and examples

Use in baking and cooking recipes that require a finely ground ingredient. Often used for making bread, cakes, and pastries.

• She added two cups of flour to the mixture.
• The bakery uses whole wheat flour in their bread.

Any fine, dry substance produced by grinding or by breaking down a solid into fine particles. Used in cooking, cosmetics, and other applications.

• She added a teaspoon of cocoa powder to the mix.
• The makeup artist applied a layer of setting powder.

A carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and corn. Used in cooking to thicken sauces and soups. Can also refer to a substance used to stiffen clothes.

• She added some cornstarch to the gravy to thicken it.
• The laundry service used starch to keep the collars crisp.

Ground grains or seeds, often coarser than flour, used in recipes or as feed for animals. Can also refer to food in general.

• This bread is made from cornmeal.
• Oatmeal is a popular breakfast meal.

Use when referring to a common baking ingredient made by grinding wheat or other grains. It is typically used in making bread, cakes, and other baked goods.

• She added some flour to the mixture to make the dough.
• This recipe requires two cups of flour.

Use when referring to any substance added to a liquid to increase its viscosity without significantly altering its other properties. Used in cooking, cosmetics, and industrial applications.

• Cornstarch is a common thickener for soups and sauces.
• The recipe suggested using gelatin as a thickener for the dessert.

Use when referring to a carbohydrate found in many foods, or in the context of laundry where it is used to stiffen fabrics.

• Potatoes are high in starch and are a staple food in many cultures.
• She uses starch to keep her shirts crisp and smooth.

Use in the context of cooking, particularly in making sauces and soups. It is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used as a thickening agent.

• The recipe calls for a roux to thicken the cheese sauce.
• She made a roux by whisking together butter and flour on the stove.

Use when referring to the act of covering something with a thin layer of flour, typically in cooking or baking.

• She floured the surface before rolling out the dough
• Flour the chicken before frying it

Usually refers to lightly covering a surface with a fine, powdery substance, can be used in food and non-food contexts.

• She dusted the cake with powdered sugar
• The bookshelf was dusted with a fine layer of dirt

Refers to scattering small particles or drops of a substance lightly over a surface.

• Sprinkle some salt over the salad
• He sprinkled water on the plants

General term for covering something completely, not limited to flour or food, but also applies to paint, oil, etc.

• He coated the chicken in breadcrumbs
• They coated the walls with a fresh layer of paint