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baking powder

noun
  1. any of various powders used as a substitute for yeast in baking, composed of sodium bicarbonate mixed with an acid substance, as cream of tartar, capable of setting carbon dioxide free when the mixture is moistened, causing the dough to rise.
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Origin of baking powder

First recorded in 1840–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for baking powder

Historical Examples of baking powder

  • The sour dough would not ferment, and we had no baking-powder.

    The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley)

    Hudson Stuck

  • Mix the flour, baking-powder and salt, cut in the lard with a knife.

  • Add the salt, flour, baking-powder, vanilla and the cooled liquid.

  • She ordered a can of baking-powder and asked how much of the money was left.

    Beginners Luck

    Emily Hahn

  • Take one cupful of flour and add to it one tablespoonful of baking-powder.

    Candy-Making at Home

    Mary M. Wright

British Dictionary definitions for baking powder

baking powder

noun
  1. any of various powdered mixtures that contain sodium bicarbonate, starch (usually flour), and one or more slightly acidic compounds, such as cream of tartar: used in baking as a substitute for yeast
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
baking powder in Science

baking powder

[bā′kĭng]
  1. A mixture of baking soda, a nonreactive filler (such as starch), and at least one slightly acidic compound (such as cream of tartar). Baking powder works as a leavening agent in baking by releasing carbon dioxide when mixed with a liquid, such as milk or water.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.