- a white, tasteless, solid carbohydrate, (C6H10O5)n, occurring in the form of minute granules in the seeds, tubers, and other parts of plants, and forming an important constituent of rice, corn, wheat, beans, potatoes, and many other vegetable foods.
- a commercial preparation of this substance used to stiffen textile fabrics in laundering.
- foods rich in natural starch.
- stiffness or formality, as of manner: He is so full of starch he can't relax.
- physical or mental energy; vigor.
- to stiffen or treat with starch.
- to make stiff or rigidly formal (sometimes followed by up).
- a polysaccharide composed of glucose units that occurs widely in plant tissues in the form of storage granules, consisting of amylose and amylopectin
- a starch obtained from potatoes and some grain: it is fine white powder that forms a translucent viscous solution on boiling with water and is used to stiffen fabric and in many industrial processes
- any food containing a large amount of starch, such as rice and potatoes
- stiff or pompous formality of manner or conduct
- to stiffen with or soak in starch
- (of a person) formal; stiff
