flour

American  

[flou^uhr, flou-er] / flaʊər, ˈflaʊ ər /

noun

1. the finely ground meal of grain, especially the finer meal separated by bolting.

2. the finely ground and bolted meal of wheat, as that used in baking.

3. any finely ground meal resembling this, as of nuts or legumes: chickpea flour.

   almond flour;

   chickpea flour.

4. a finely ground, powdery foodstuff, as of dehydrated potatoes, fish, or bananas.

5. a fine, soft powder.

   flour of emery.

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verb (used with object)

1. to grind (grain or the like) into flour.

2. to sprinkle or dredge with flour.

   Flour the chicken before frying.

verb (used without object)

1. (of mercury) to refuse to amalgamate with another metal because of some impurity of the metal; lie on the surface of the metal in the form of minute globules.

2. to disintegrate into minute particles.

flour British  

/ ˈflaʊə /

noun

1. a powder, which may be either fine or coarse, prepared by sifting and grinding the meal of a grass, esp wheat

2. any finely powdered substance

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verb

1. (tr) to make (grain) into flour

2. (tr) to dredge or sprinkle (food or cooking utensils) with flour

3. (of mercury) to break into fine particles on the surface of a metal rather than amalgamating, or to produce such an effect on (a metal). The effect is caused by impurities, esp sulphur

Other Word Forms

• flourless adjective
• floury adjective
• overflour verb
• unfloured adjective

Etymology

Origin of flour

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English flour, flur, flower, special use of flower (in the sense “finest part”); compare French fleur de farine “the flower, or finest part, of meal”

Example Sentences

For years, I left a trail behind me: stacked dishes, smeared counters, a fine dusting of flour like evidence.

From Salon

It uses around 16 tonnes of flour to produce up to 40,000 loaves a day, which sounds like a lot but, compared with the giant bakers, is still a medium-sized business.

From BBC

It's down to falling flour and sugar prices - there is currently a global sugar surplus.

From BBC

Soft, tender and just dense enough to hold its shape, these savory muffins are built on a base of flour, cornmeal, butter, oil and buttermilk — a formula so flexible it practically begs for riffing.

From Salon

So I kept things classic: white flour, white sugar, buttermilk — the quiet chorus of pastry fundamentals.

From Salon

Related Words

• grate