flour, n. [F. fleur de farine the flower (i.e., the best) of meal, cf. Sp. flor de la harina superfine flour, Icel. flÜr flower, flour. See Flower.].

The finely ground meal of wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any substance; as, flour of emery; flour of mustard. [1913 Webster]

Flour bolt, in milling, a gauze-covered, revolving, cylindrical frame or reel, for sifting the flour from the refuse contained in the meal yielded by the stones. -- Flour box a tin box for scattering flour; a dredging box. -- Flour dredge or Flour dredger, a flour box. -- Flour dresser, a mashine for sorting and distributing flour according to grades of fineness. -- Flour mill, a mill for grinding and sifting flour.

flour, v. t.

To grind and bolt; to convert into flour; as, to flour wheat. [1913 Webster]
To sprinkle with flour. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

flour, n. & v.
--n.
1 a meal or powder obtained by grinding and usu. sifting cereals, esp. wheat.
2 any fine powder.
--v.tr.
1 sprinkle with flour.
2 US grind into flour.

Derivative

floury adj. (flourier, flouriest). flouriness n.

Etymology

ME, different. spelling of FLOWER in the sense 'finest part'

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THESAURUS

flour

abrade, air pollution, alabaster, atomize, attritus, beat, besprinkle, bran, bray, bread, brecciate, chalk, comminute, contriturate, cosmic dust, crumb, crumble, crush, disintegrate, dot, dredge, driven snow, dust, dust ball, efflorescence, fallout, farina, filings, fleece, foam, fragment, grain, granulate, granulize, grate, grind, grind to powder, grits, groats, ivory, kittens, levigate, lily, lint, maggot, mash, meal, milk, mill, paper, pearl, pepper, pestle, pound, powder, pulverize, pussies, raspings, reduce to powder, sawdust, scrunch, shard, sheet, shred, silver, smash, smut, snow, soot, spatter, speck, speckle, splatter, spot, sprinkle, squash, stud, swan, triturate

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ROGET THESAURUS

flour

Pulverulence

N powderiness, pulverulence, sandiness, efflorescence, friability, powder, dust, sand, shingle, sawdust, grit, meal, bran, flour, farina, rice, paddy, spore, sporule, crumb, seed, grain, particle, limature, filings, debris, detritus, tailings, talus slope, scobs, magistery, fine powder, flocculi, smoke, cloud of dust, cloud of sand, cloud of smoke, puff of smoke, volume of smoke, sand storm, dust storm, pulverization, comminution, attenuation, granulation, disintegration, subaction, contusion, trituration, levigation, abrasion, detrition, multure, limitation, tripsis, filing, mill, arrastra, gristmill, grater, rasp, file, mortar and pestle, nutmeg grater, teeth, grinder, grindstone, kern, quern, koniology, powdery, pulverulent, granular, mealy, floury, farinaceous, branny, furfuraceous, flocculent, dusty, sandy, sabulous, psammous, arenose, arenarious, arenaceous, gritty, efflorescent, impalpable, lentiginous, lepidote, sabuline, sporaceous, sporous, pulverizable, friable, crumbly, shivery, pulverized, attrite, in pieces.

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