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Starch vs Powder - What's the difference?

starch | powder |

As nouns the difference between starch and powder

is that starch is a widely diffused vegetable substance found especially in seeds, bulbs, and tubers, and extracted (as from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) as a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is used as a food, in the production of commercial grape sugar, for stiffening linen in laundries, in making paste, etc while powder is the fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust.

As verbs the difference between starch and powder

is that starch is to apply or treat with laundry starch, to create a hard, smooth surface while powder is to reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder.

As an adjective starch

is stiff; precise; rigid.

starch

English

(wikipedia starch)

Noun

  • (uncountable) A widely diffused vegetable substance found especially in seeds, bulbs, and tubers, and extracted (as from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) as a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is used as a food, in the production of commercial grape sugar, for stiffening linen in laundries, in making paste, etc.
  • (nutrition, countable) Carbohydrates, as with grain and potato based foods.
  • (uncountable, figuratively) A stiff, formal manner; formality.
  • (Addison)
  • (countable) Any of various starch-like substances used as a laundry stiffener
  • Derived terms

    * starchy * cornstarch * potato starch

    Verb

  • To apply or treat with laundry starch, to create a hard, smooth surface.
  • She starched her blouses.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Stiff; precise; rigid.
  • (Killingbeck)

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    *

    powder

    English

    Alternative forms

    * powdre (obsolete)

    Noun

  • The fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust.
  • * (rfdate) (William Shakespeare):
  • Grind their bones to powder small.
  • A mixture of fine dry, sweet-smelling particles applied to the face or other body parts, to reduce shine or to alleviate chaffing.
  • * 1912 , :
  • She was redolent of violet sachet powder, and had warm, soft, white hands, but she danced divinely, moving as smoothly as the tide coming in.
  • An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.
  • (informal) Light, dry, fluffy snow.
  • Derived terms

    * Atlas powder * baking powder * Bolivian marching powder * powder blue * powder burn * powder down * powder-down feather * powder-down patch * powder hose * powder hoy * powder magazine * powder mine * powder monkey * powder post * powder puff * powder room * take a powder

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder.
  • To sprinkle with powder, or as with powder.
  • to powder the hair
  • * (rfdate) :
  • A circling zone thou seest / Powdered with stars.
  • To be reduced to powder; to become like powder.
  • Some salts powder easily.
  • To use powder on the hair or skin.
  • She paints and powders .
  • To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat.
  • Synonyms

    * (to reduce to fine particles) pound, grind, comminute, pulverize, triturate