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.

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cornstarch British  

/ ˈkɔːnˌstɑːtʃ /

noun

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

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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

Other ingredients include salt, monosodium glutamate, cornstarch and beta carotene for color.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

If you don’t, a tiny cornstarch slurry will bring it together in minutes.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 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

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

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan