flour
Americannoun
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the finely ground meal of grain, especially the finer meal separated by bolting.
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the finely ground and bolted meal of wheat, as that used in baking.
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any finely ground meal resembling this, as of nuts or legumes: chickpea flour.
almond flour;
chickpea flour.
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a finely ground, powdery foodstuff, as of dehydrated potatoes, fish, or bananas.
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a fine, soft powder.
flour of emery.
verb (used with object)
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to grind (grain or the like) into flour.
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to sprinkle or dredge with flour.
Flour the chicken before frying.
verb (used without object)
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(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.
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to disintegrate into minute particles.
noun
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a powder, which may be either fine or coarse, prepared by sifting and grinding the meal of a grass, esp wheat
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any finely powdered substance
verb
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(tr) to make (grain) into flour
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(tr) to dredge or sprinkle (food or cooking utensils) with flour
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(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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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floursimple
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flourssimple
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have flouredperfect
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has flouredperfect
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am flouringprogressive
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are flouringprogressive
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is flouringprogressive
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have been flouringperfect progressive
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has been flouringperfect progressive
Past
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flouredsimple
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had flouredperfect
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was flouringprogressive
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were flouringprogressive
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had been flouringperfect progressive
Future
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”
Explanation
Flour is a fine, powdery ingredient that's used to bake bread and cake and is made by grinding wheat or other grains. A traditional pound cake is made with a pound of flour. You'll need flour when you bake almost anything, and while flour is usually made from wheat, you can also buy rice flour, corn flour, and may other kinds. When you sprinkle flour on the counter before kneading bread dough, you flour it. Flour comes from its homophone, flower, from the sense of "the finest or loveliest part of the meal," just as a flower is the finest part of a plant.
Vocabulary lists containing flour
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The bread is made from Central Milling organic flour and baked fresh in an outdoor oven.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
You can very easily make salted corn chips at home with some corn flour, oil, and salt.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
"It has more variety than say Target," Montenegro said, praising the prices on staples like flour and fruit, though he noted he still prefers Trader Joe's.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Keep in mind that the dumplings in this recipe are the doughy kind, made with flour, buttermilk, baking powder and baking soda.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
She poured it into her bowl, squinting against the airborne flour dust.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
While she loves local and home-milled flours, she’s also happy with the crusts she makes with King Arthur flour bought at Costco.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
They use a range of flours that are farmed using sustainable methods that prioritise soil health.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
He noted that artisanal bakeries in the state have long used unenriched flours without health inspectors going after them, as Arambula’s bill would do to tortilleros.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2024
I have, however, used alternative whole flours, like sorghum, with success.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2023
Process: Sift together flours, sugar, salt and baking powder.
From Fifty-Two Sunday Dinners A Book of Recipes by Hiller, Elizabeth O.
Use a floured small glass or biscuit cutter to make about 5 biscuits, or more, according to size desired.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2025
Turn the dough onto the floured surface and roll it out with a floured rolling pin to a ½-inch thickness.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 12, 2023
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into an approximately 1/4-inch-thick rectangle, about 18 inches long by 12 inches wide, repeating the folding process.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 8, 2023
Use a spatula to scrape onto a flat, nonstick surface, like a long sheet of parchment paper, or a lightly floured countertop.
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2023
She wiped her floured hands with a rag and stood up.
From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed
How you roll the dough depends on the final shape you want, but begin by generously flouring a countertop and rolling pin.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2022
Greasing and flouring the paper will ensure it releases without pulling off any of the cake crust.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2022
Place the dough between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll out into a 10-inch circle, flouring as needed.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 6, 2022
He clapped his hands again above his head, and a fine, light flouring flew into the air—sort of like chalk dust—and a haze shimmered about his face.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
Paul Munch, in 1860, erected a first class, three storied flouring mill on Lawrence creek.
From Fifty Years In The Northwest With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes by Folsom, William Henry Carman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
