A protein complex found in wheat and related grains that gives dough its elastic texture. Some people have medical conditions requiring gluten avoidance.
From Latin gluten meaning 'glue,' from glue- 'to stick together.' First used in English in the 1600s to describe the sticky protein substance in flour that acts as a binding agent in bread-making.
Gluten is essentially nature's edible glue - it's what makes bread chewy and pizza dough stretchy, trapping gas bubbles to create that perfect texture we associate with baked goods. The recent surge in gluten-free diets has created an entire industry of alternative flours and binding agents, showing how one protein can reshape entire food markets.
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