cornstarch

American  

[kawrn-stahrch] / ˈkɔrnˌstɑrtʃ /

noun

1. a starch or a starchy flour made from corn and used for thickening gravies and sauces, making puddings, etc.

---

cornstarch British  

/ ˈkɔːnˌstɑːtʃ /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): cornflour.  a fine starchy maize flour, used esp for thickening sauces

---

Etymology

Origin of cornstarch

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; corn ¹ + starch

Compare meaning

How does cornstarch compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cornmeal vs. cornstarch

Example Sentences

Kenvue no longer sells talc-containing powder and uses cornstarch instead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

JSO has said its last protest – to be held at the end of April – will mark "the end of soup on Van Goghs, cornstarch on Stonehenge and slow marching in the streets".

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2025

Hall, then 24, had originally set out to create the world’s most comfortable chair, filling a plastic sack with gelatin and then cornstarch with disappointing results.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2024

Subsequent analysis revealed that the powder dumped on the case was a mixture of pigment powder and cornstarch.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024

But there are hundreds of other food ingredients created from the remaining cornstarch.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan