French word

amidon

Pronunciation

IPA/amidɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounstarch

Example

La sauce a besoin d'amidon pour épaissir.

The sauce needs starch to make it thicker.

Illustration for amidon (starch)

More examples

On met de l'amidon sur le col des chemises pour les raidir.

We put starch on shirt collars to stiffen them.

Core concept

White starch powder from plants, changing a liquid into a thicker, adhesive paste when moistened or heated.

Common phrases

  • amidon de maïs

    cornstarch

  • amidon de pomme de terre

    potato starch

  • amidon de riz

    rice starch

Similar words

fécule: A white powder extracted from certain plants and used to thicken food.
maïzena: A mainly corn-based starch brand commonly used at home to thicken food.
farine: Powder made from ground grains and used in cooking and baking.

Definition in French

Poudre blanche d'origine végétale, riche en glucides, utilisée principalement pour épaissir les préparations culinaires et parfois comme agent d'encollage.

Word origin

The French noun amidon developed from Old French amidon, ultimately tracing back through Latin amylum to Greek amylon.

Usage tips

  • The final n in amidon is not pronounced as a consonant; the ending has a nasal vowel, roughly like /ɔ̃/.

Related words

  • amidonnerstarchverb
  • amidonnagestarchingnoun

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