starch

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA ^(key): /stɑrtʃ/
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /stɑːtʃ/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

Singular starch

Plural starches

1. Starch is a carbohydrate found in seeds, fruits, roots, and tubers.

   Potatoes and rice are a good source of starch.

2. Starch is a white powder made from carbohydrates and added to clothes during washing to make them stiff.

   She added starch to the washing to stiffen the shirt collars.

Verb

Plain form starch

Third-person singular starches

Past tense starched

Past participle starched

Present participle starching

1. To starch is to add a powder to washing to make the material stiff.

   His freshly washed clothes had been starched and were so hard that it was difficult to put them on.