: 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
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Each burger is hand-packed with crisp lettuce, tomato, pickles and just a swipe of mustard — nothing unnecessary, nothing pretentious.—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025 The space has been decorated with powder pink rugs; stonewashed walls and mustard couches.—Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025 In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, mayonnaise, honey, salt, and pepper.—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025 They’re topped with just the right amount of melty American cheese and a bright dijon mustard sauce on a sturdy brioche bun that holds up to the juiciness.—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 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
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