custard

noun

cus·​tard ˈkə-stərd How to pronounce custard (audio)
plural custards
: a cooked mixture made of eggs and milk or cream and usually having a thick, creamy consistency
By the eighteenth century it had become the dessert we know today: a layered treat of sponge cake, custard, fruit, jam, whipped cream and spirits.Bon Appétit
We toss a laurel wreath to the chefs for their … pastitsio and moussaka, both of which sported a savory custard topping.Greg Morago et al.
Smooth and creamy, custard lends itself to a range of both sweet and savory dishes.Gabrielle Shaughness
custardy adjective

Examples of custard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rich notes of barrel char, leather, tobacco, and vanilla custard lead on the palate. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2025 Touches of theater continued until the final course: a plate of madeleines, served with a lemon, cinnamon, and Earl Grey custard and delivered with a worn copy of the 1932 play Blood Wedding, by Federico García Lorca. Agnish Ray, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2025 The location will have more than 1,000 furniture rooms and a cafe serving custard and cookies. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2025 Grab a frozen custard from local favorite Whit’s, shop for one-of-a-kind apparel at House of Perna or Tern Studio, then choose from sushi, Mexican food, tapas, or ramen. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for custard

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, a kind of pie, alteration of crustarde, crustade, probably from Anglo-French *crustade, from cruste crust, from Latin crusta — more at crust

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of custard was circa 1616

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Custard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/custard. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

custard

noun
cus·​tard ˈkəs-tərd How to pronounce custard (audio)
: a sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked, boiled, or frozen

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