starch

IPA/stɑːtʃ/
KK[stˈɑrtʃ]IPA/stɑːrtʃ/

starch — noun

1. a white substance found in potatoes, rice, wheat, corn, and other plants that yo

1.nounB1
Definition

a white substance found in potatoes, rice, wheat, corn, and other plants that your body breaks down into sugar to give you energy

Example

Potatoes contain a lot of starch, which is why they are such a filling food.

Wei's doctor told him to eat fewer foods that are high in starch.

collocation: high in starch

Common collocations
  • high in starch
  • contains starch
  • source of starch
  • added starch
  • starch content
Synonyms
  • carbohydrate

    broader category; starch is one type of carbohydrate

Antonyms
  • protein

    a different macronutrient group with a different chemical structure

Grammar Patterns

starch as a mass noun

Usage Note

Uncountable — do not say 'a starch' when referring to the food substance in general. However, 'starches' (plural) is used informally to mean 'foods rich in starch' (e.g. 'cut back on starches').

Common Mistakes

Rice is full of starches.
Rice is full of starch.
The food substance itself is uncountable when referring to the chemical component.

2. a powder or liquid made from plant starch that is mixed with water and sprayed o

2.nounB1
Definition

a powder or liquid made from plant starch that is mixed with water and sprayed or rubbed onto fabric to make it smooth, stiff, and easy to iron

Example

Olga sprayed starch onto her father's white shirts before ironing them.

spray + starch + onto [fabric]

The dry cleaner uses a special starch to keep the collars of dress shirts perfectly stiff.

Common collocations
  • spray starch
  • apply starch
  • use starch
  • starched collar
  • can of starch
  • powdered starch
Synonyms
  • sizing

    a broader term for substances used to stiffen fabric, often in industrial settings

Grammar Patterns

starch as a laundry product

Usage Note

Uncountable. When referring to the act of applying starch in laundry, 'starch' is used without an article ('apply starch', 'use starch'). The countable form 'a starch' is rare and usually refers to a specific brand or product type.

starch — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Starch refers specifically to the white carbohydrate stored in plants such as potatoes, rice, and corn. Carbohydrate is a much broader category that includes sugars, fibres, and starches — all carbohydrates are not starch, but all starches are carbohydrates. Flour is ground grain that contains starch, but it also includes protein (gluten), fibre, and other components; you can use flour to thicken a sauce, but the thickening power comes from its starch content. In everyday speech, people say 'cut back on starch' when following a low-carb diet, whereas a baker buys flour (not just starch) to make bread. For scientific accuracy on food labels, 'carbohydrate' is the formal term and 'starch' is one sub-type listed underneath.

starch ↗carbohydrate ↗flour ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • high in starch
  • low in starch
  • source of starch
  • rich in starch

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicIndo-European

The word 'starch' comes from Old English 'stercan' meaning 'to stiffen' or 'make rigid', which is related to the adjective 'stark'. By the 15th century, it was being used as a noun for the substance used to stiffen cloth. The food sense developed naturally from the same substance in plants. The root goes back through Germanic languages to an Indo-European base meaning 'stiff' or 'rigid', which is also the source of the English word 'stark'.