Flour Was Flower, the Finest Part of Meal

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

flour should be called grain powder.

the word “flour” came from “flower”. It was called “flower” because it's “finest part of meal”. The spelling changed to flour around 1830.

[etymology of flour https://www.etymonline.com/word/flour] «early 13c., flur “flower” (see flower (n.)); meaning “finer portion of ground grain” is mid-13c., from the notion of flour as the “finest part” of meal (compare French fleur de farine), as distinguished from the coarser parts (meal). Spelled flower until flour became the accepted form c.1830 to end confusion.»