starched; starching; starches
: to stiffen with or as if with starch
1
: a white odorless tasteless granular or powdery complex carbohydrate (C6H10O5)x that is the chief storage form of carbohydrate in plants, is an important foodstuff, and is used also in adhesives and sizes, in laundering, and in pharmacy and medicine
2
: a stiff formal manner : formality
3
: resolute vigor
Examples of starch in a Sentence
Verb
He starches the collars of his shirts.
Noun
a middle-aged woman who has retained the starch of youth
Recent Examples on the Web
Merve Ceylan, Health, 24 Sep. 2025
To fulfill the need for high protein, Del Bianco and her team are working to boost the protein content of the rice by increasing the ratio of protein-rich embryo to starch.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2025
Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 29 Oct. 2025
After more than two decades of working in the food space—reviving her family’s snack empire, and building her own chip brand from scratch—Dawes was ready to move on from starch.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for starch
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Verb
They are also made in factories by adding hydrogen to sugar or starch under heat and pressure.1
Sugar alcohol does not contain alcohol like alcoholic drinks.
—Merve Ceylan, Health, 24 Sep. 2025
To fulfill the need for high protein, Del Bianco and her team are working to boost the protein content of the rice by increasing the ratio of protein-rich embryo to starch.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2025
Noun
Foods rich in digestible starch include grains (like rice, wheat, and oats), starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, corn, and peas), and legumes (like lentils and beans).
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 29 Oct. 2025
After more than two decades of working in the food space—reviving her family’s snack empire, and building her own chip brand from scratch—Dawes was ready to move on from starch.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for starch
Cite this Entry
“Starch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starch. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
starch
1 of 2 verb
: to stiffen with or as if with starch
starch
2 of 2 noun1
: a white odorless tasteless carbohydrate that is the chief form in which carbohydrate is stored in plants, is an important food, and is used also in adhesives, in laundering, and in pharmacy and medicine
2
: a stiff formal manner : formality
3
Medical Definition
starch
noun
: a white odorless tasteless granular or powdery complex carbohydrate (C6H10O5)x that is the chief storage form of carbohydrate in plants, is an important foodstuff, has demulcent and absorbent properties, and is used in pharmacy especially as a dusting powder and as a constituent of ointments and pastes
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