Starchlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Possessing characteristics similar to starch, such as being powdery, white, and used as a thickener
2. Describing a texture or appearance that resembles starch, often powdery and bland in nature
3. Having a starch-like quality, including a pale color and the ability to thicken substances

Etymology: "Starchlike" is about as plain as English compounds get: it joins "starch" and the suffix "-like," which means "resembling" or "having the qualities of." The adjective therefore describes anything that behaves like starch, whether that means a powdery texture, a white colour, or the thickening quality that makes a sauce set. The interest lies in the base word. "Starch" traces back to Old English "stercan," meaning "to stiffen," which is why the stiffening of cloth was its original use. Only later did the name attach to the substance itself, and the compound shows that link: a thing that is starchlike has the stiffening, thickening character of the material the word was first built around.

Synonyms: amylaceous, carbohydrate-like, powdery, granular

Antonyms: non-starchy, non-carbohydrate