STARCHES

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does starches mean? 

• STARCHES (noun)
  The noun STARCHES has 1 sense:

1. foodstuff rich in natural starch (especially potatoes, rice, bread)

  Familiarity information: STARCHES used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STARCHES (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Foodstuff rich in natural starch (especially potatoes, rice, bread)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("starches" is a kind of...):

food product; foodstuff (a substance that can be used or prepared for use as food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "starches"):

bread; breadstuff; staff of life (food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked)

Irish potato; murphy; potato; spud; tater; white potato (an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland)

rice (grains used as food either unpolished or more often polished)

 Context examples 

Lipase, protease and amylase break down fat, protein, and starches, respectively in the small intestine, thereby promoting digestion.

(Pancrelipase, NCI Thesaurus)

An enzyme that helps the body digest starches.

(Amylase, NCI Dictionary)

In addition, acarbose inhibits pancreatic alpha-amylase which hydrolyzes complex starches to oligosaccharides in the small intestines.

(Acarbose, NCI Thesaurus)

The largest class of organic compounds, including starches, glycogens, cellulose, gums, and simple sugars.

(Carbohydrate, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

They then need to rely on stored sugars and starches to stay alive, and will die if these run out before a drought ends.

(What's killing trees during droughts?, National Science Foundation)