starching

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   The present participle of 'starch': making cloth stiff by treating it with a special substance.

   Grammar: Takes an object: starch a shirt. The -ing form is used in progressive tenses or as a gerund.

   Patterns

   • starching something
   • starching a collar
   • be starching something

   She is starching the tablecloth so it will look crisp for the party.

   While I was starching my uniform, the iron hissed and steamed.

   Starching delicate fabrics can damage them, so test a small area first.

2. 2noununcountable

   The act or process of treating fabric with starch to make it stiff.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used as a gerund noun, often with 'the' or no article.

   Patterns

   • the starching of something
   • starching and ironing

   The starching of his shirts was a weekly chore.

   Modern no-iron fabrics have made starching less common.

Common combinations

starching a collar

He spent the morning starching a collar to make it stand up.

starching and ironing

Starching and ironing are two separate steps in caring for linen.

heavy starching

Heavy starching gives the fabric a board-like stiffness.

starching the laundry

She was starching the laundry when the phone rang.

Synonyms and how they differ

stiffening

A more general word for making anything rigid; 'starching' specifically uses starch on cloth.

Opposites

Word family

starch noun

The white substance used to stiffen clothes, or a food component.

starch verb

To treat cloth with starch.

starchy adjective

Containing starch, or (of food) high in starch.

starched adjective

Treated with starch; stiff and crisp.

Commonly confused: starching or starching vs. searching?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “starching”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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