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

No one wanted to help make the flour, the dough or bake the bread, but they all wanted to eat it after it was done.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

I schlepped in oversized bags of flour and sugar to make cranberry-orange and pumpkin-chocolate loaves for Christmas—leaving a fine dusting of powder in the pantry.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Both companies and other food firms, are legally obliged to maintain strategic reserves of critical items, such as flour, sugar and cooking oils.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Glasses of helo-murr, a bittersweet drink made from corn flour, lined the table.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

What Nim liked best about cooking bread was watching the dough she’d mixed from dry flour, yeast, and water puff into warm, fresh bread.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Related Words

• grate