starchy

Everyday

1. Starchy food contains a lot of starch, a kind of carbohydrate found in potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and corn. tree →
2. Starchy clothes are stiff because they have been treated with starch. tree →
3. (informal) A starchy person is stiff, formal and unfriendly. tree →

In the lessons

In science and health lessons starchy foods give the body energy and are a main food group on the healthy plate (the Eatwell Guide in the UK). In science, iodine turns blue-black when it touches starch, which is a classic experiment. Phrases: starchy foods, starchy vegetables, a starchy collar.

Examples

• Potatoes, rice and pasta are starchy foods. tree →
• Starchy foods give us energy for running about. tree →
• The iodine turned blue-black, so the bread was starchy. tree →
• Sweetcorn is a starchy vegetable. tree →
• His shirt collar was so starchy it scratched his neck. tree →
• The starchy old butler never smiled. tree →
• Try to eat starchy foods with lots of vegetables. tree →

Note

Comparative starchier, starchiest. Starch is a carbohydrate; when we chew it, saliva begins to turn it into sugar. Wholegrain starchy foods have more fibre than white ones.