noun Uncommon

starch

STAHCH

Starch (noun) means a carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and grains, used by the body for energy. Example: “Pasta is high in starch.”

noun

A carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and grains, used by the body for energy.

"Pasta is high in starch."

"The chef added a spoonful of starch to thicken the sauce."

A substance used to stiffen fabric, especially collars and shirts, when doing laundry.

"He always asked the dry cleaner for extra starch in his shirts."

verb

To treat fabric with starch to make it stiff.

"She starched his collar so it would hold its shape."

How to use starch

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the carbohydrate in foods like potatoes and bread, or the laundry product that stiffens clothes.

Common pairings

starchy food starch a shirt potato starch corn starch

Word forms

starched past tense, starches plural, starches singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Pasta is high in _____.

Etymology

From an Old English word meaning "stiffness" or "strength," related to the word "stark." The food sense and the laundry sense both trace back to the same idea of something that makes things rigid.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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amylum

Rhymes for starch

arch march perch torch birch porch lurch merch church scorch

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Frequently asked questions

What does “starch” mean?

The word “starch” means a carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and grains, used by the body for energy. In plain terms, either the carbohydrate in foods like potatoes and bread, or the laundry product that stiffens clothes.

How do you pronounce “starch”?

“Starch” is pronounced STAHCH (/ˈstɑɹt͡ʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “starch” in a sentence?

Here is “starch” used in a sentence: “Pasta is high in starch.”

What part of speech is “starch”?

Depending on how it is used, “starch” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “starch” come from?

The word “starch” comes from Old English. From an Old English word meaning "stiffness" or "strength," related to the word "stark." The food sense and the laundry sense both trace back to the same idea of something that makes things rigid.

Is “starch” a common word?

“Starch” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “starch” have?

“Starch” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes, rice, and grains, used by the body for energy.