flour

[flou^uhr, flou-er]

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.

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

/ 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

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
• overflour verb
• unfloured adjective
• floury adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flour¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of flour¹

C13 flur finer portion of meal, _flower

Example Sentences

In Brazil they couldn’t grow wheat for a time, and before they were importing it, they were relying on cassava flour everywhere.

From Los Angeles Times

They still buy flour and coffee, but not much else.

From Los Angeles Times

We need water and we need food, which the yeast gets from the simple sugars found in most flours.

From Salon

WILTON, Calif. — On a balmy day last week south of Sacramento, a group of women took turns grinding and preparing acorn flour, and then used fire-heated stones to cook it with water in woven baskets.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was hard to tell what they lined the field with, if it was flour or chalk,” Fouts said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• grate