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

The space features a 50-line self-serve tap wall, a self-serve custard stand and activities such as bowling, dartball and curling. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Its gooey pecan filling sits under cushions of custard and whipped cream. —Pervaiz Shallwani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025

Mild and sweet, nutmeg is a natural substitute in custards, baked goods, and other types of desserts. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025

The scoops include local flavors such as Singapore chendol (chendol is a jelly made from pandan leaves), kueh salat (coconut pandan ice cream, blue-pea mochi, and coconut pandan custard bits), and, for the more adventurous, Emperor Mao durian. —Elizabeth See, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 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