STARCHY (starchier, starchiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: starchier    , starchiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does starchy mean? 

• STARCHY (adjective)
  The adjective STARCHY has 2 senses:

1. consisting of or containing starch

2. rigidly formal

  Familiarity information: STARCHY used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STARCHY (adjective)

Comparative: starchier   
Superlative: starchiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Consisting of or containing starch

Context example:

starchy foods

Similar:

amylaceous; amyloid; amyloidal; farinaceous; starchlike (resembling starch)

Antonym:

starchless (lacking starch)

Derivation:

starch (a complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice; an important foodstuff and used otherwise especially in adhesives and as fillers and stiffeners for paper and textiles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Rigidly formal

Synonyms:

buckram; starchy; stiff

Context example:

his prose has a buckram quality

Similar:

formal (being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress))

 Context examples 

Nonstarchy vegetables are usually lower in sugar and higher in fiber than starchy vegetables.

(Nonstarchy vegetable, NCI Dictionary)

Complex carbohydrates include whole grain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes.

(Carbohydrates, NIH)

“Most nutritious foods are expensive in low-income countries. Eggs and fresh milk, for example, are often ten times as expensive as starchy staples in caloric terms,” the study stated.

(High cost of healthy food to blame for malnutrition, SciDev.Net)

They calculated how the price of a calorie of a given food compares with that of a representative basket of starchy staple food in each country — a measure called relative caloric price.

(High cost of healthy food to blame for malnutrition, SciDev.Net)