Flourlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the fine, powdery texture or appearance of flour, like a soft dusting of milled grain
2. Resembling flour in being finely ground, pale, and dry to the touch
3. Looking or feeling like flour, with a light, powdery consistency made of very fine particles

Etymology: "Flourlike" is a plain compound: "flour" with the suffix "-like," meaning "resembling or having the qualities of." The adjective describes something with the fine, soft, powdery texture of flour, as in a dusting of snow or a dry, pale residue on a surface. The word has an unusual sibling. "Flour" and "flower" were once the same word, both descending from Middle English "flour," and the two spellings split only in the centuries after the word was first written. Because of this, "flourlike" and "flowerlike" are doublets: two forms that developed from a single source and went their separate ways, one meaning powder and the other blossom. The pairing is a small reminder of how close the two meanings once were.

Synonyms: floury