flour

[ flouuhr, 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

Derived Forms

• ˈfloury, adjective

Other Words From

• flour·less adjective
• o·ver·flour verb
• un·floured 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

Folic acid is to be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour in the UK to help prevent birth defects.

From BBC

“People are starving in some areas. People are very hungry. They are fighting over bags of flour. There are just not enough supplies.”

From BBC

Sprinkle flour into the pot and stir a few minutes to make a light roux.

From Salon

For example, it would incorporate unfamiliar cuts of meats into meatloaf or meatballs or grind crickets into flour for cookies or protein bars.

From Salon

“Those recipes call for 14 pounds of sugar, 30 quarts of flour, and like, 10 pounds of butter,” says King.

From Salon

Related Words

• grate