flour

"Flour" is a common everyday word with two main uses — one as a noun and one as a verb. You almost certainly know it from cooking, but it also has a practical verb form worth knowing.

1nounpowder from ground grain

Flour is the fine, soft powder you get when you grind wheat (or other grains) into tiny particles. Think of it as the base ingredient for bread, cakes, pasta, and many other foods. When you open a bag of flour, you see a white or off-white powder that feels silky between your fingers.

cooking and baking · Modern, widely used

She mixed flour, eggs, and butter to make the cake batter.

Bread is made by combining flour with water, yeast, and a little salt.

The recipe calls for two cups of flour.

2verbto coat or dust with flour

When you 'flour' something, you sprinkle or rub flour onto a surface or food item. Bakers do this to stop dough from sticking to the table or to a baking pan. It is a very practical action in the kitchen.

cooking and baking · Modern, widely used

Flour the baking tin before pouring in the batter so the cake doesn't stick.

He floured the work surface and then rolled out the dough.

The recipe says to flour your hands before shaping the bread.