custard

noun

cus·​tard ˈkə-stərd 

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

ˈkə-stər-dē 

adjective

Examples of custard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Different types of pies can benefit from different storage methods, whether your pie is fruit- or custard-based, a meringue pie, or other variety. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2025

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours after cooking, including pumpkin or other custard pies. —Mekialaya White, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025

Grab a slice, then walk next door for frozen custard at Smiley’s or a drink by the fire pit at The Burn Barrel. —Hayley Hutson, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025

Pour this custard through a fine strainer and distribute it among the baking dishes, pouring it over the prunes and the hardened caramel. —Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing custard

• custard apple

Rhymes for custard

• blustered
• bustard
• clustered
• flustered
• mustard
• mustered

Kids Definition

custard

noun

cus·​tard ˈkəs-tərd 

: a sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked, boiled, or frozen