almidón

starch

noun ahl-mee-DOHN Rare

Origin: From Latin amylum, from Greek amylon.

Usage Note

Almidón refers to the carbohydrate starch found in foods such as potatoes and grains, as well as the laundry starch used to stiffen fabric. The verb almidonar means to starch a garment. It is distinct from fécula, which is used more specifically for fine starch extracted from roots (potato starch, cornstarch). Note the written accent: almidón (singular) → almidones (plural).

Examples

"El pan blanco tiene mucho almidón."

Natural Translation

White bread has a lot of starch.

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