Flour and Flower Were the Same Word
Flour is ground grain. The spelling split from flower only in the nineteenth century, because flour meant the finest part of the meal.
Flour is finely ground grain. It is the same word as *flower*, and the logic is the French phrase *fleur de farine*, the flower of the meal — meaning the finest, best part after the bran was sifted out. English used one spelling for both senses until the 1800s, when the two were finally separated on the page. The distinction is spelling only; the words are historically identical.
- Ground grain. *Plain flour.*
- To coat with flour. *Flour the surface.*
- Flower — the same word historically. *A cut flower.*
- Wholemeal — flour with the bran. *Wholemeal flour.*
- Self-raising — with raising agent added. *Self-raising flour.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | flour | White flour. |
| Verb | flour | Flour the tin. |
| Adjective | floury | Floury hands. |
| Related | flower | A flower. |
| French | fleur de farine | The finest meal. |
- Sift the flour into the bowl.Baking.
- Flour the tin before pouring the batter.Verb.
- The two spellings split in the 1800s.History.
Flour types, British and American
- Plain flour (UK) — all-purpose flour (US)
- Strong or bread flour — higher protein, for yeast baking
- Self-raising (UK) — self-rising (US), with baking powder added
- Wholemeal (UK) — whole wheat (US)
- Cornflour (UK) — cornstarch (US), a thickener, not ground maize
A spelling variant of *flower*, from Old French *flour*, in the sense of the finest part of the meal, from Latin *flos*.
Are flour and flower the same word?
Historically yes. Flour meant the flower, or finest part, of the ground meal. The spellings separated in the 1800s.
Is cornflour ground corn?
In Britain, no. Cornflour is a fine white starch used as a thickener, called cornstarch in America.