: a pungent yellow condiment consisting of the pulverized seeds of various mustard plants (such as Sinapis alba, Brassica juncea, and B. nigra) either dry or made into a paste or sauce (as by mixing with water or vinegar) and sometimes adulterated with other substances (such as turmeric) or mixed with spices
b
: the seed of a mustard plant used as a spice and in medicine as a stimulant and diuretic, an emetic, or a counterirritant
: any of several herbs (genera Brassica and Sinapis of the family Brassicaceae synonym Cruciferae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods
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.
Spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens, and natto, all pack more vitamin K per serving than kale and offer a variety of other health-promoting vitamins, minerals, and protective plant compounds.—Jillian Kubala, Health, 6 Oct. 2025 Add the remaining beef broth, cornstarch slurry, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet.—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2025 Reduce heat to low and whisk in mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025 Leopard Print Fall is a time to pull out rich earth tones like chocolate, mustard, burnt orange, bold red, merlot purples, and maritime navies.—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mustard
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French mustarde, from must must, from Latin mustum
: a pungent yellow condiment consisting of the pulverized seeds of the black mustard or sometimes the white mustard either dry or made into a paste and serving as a stimulant and diuretic or in large doses as an emetic and as a counterirritant when applied to the skin as a poultice
2
: any of several herbs (genus Brassica of the family Cruciferae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods see black mustardsense 1, white mustard
Share