pudding

noun pud·ding \ ˈpu̇-diŋ \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Definition of pudding

1 : blood sausage

2 a (1) : a boiled or baked soft food usually with a cereal base

corn pudding

bread pudding

(2) : a dessert of a soft, spongy, or thick creamy consistency

chocolate pudding

(3) British : dessert 1

b : a dish often containing suet or having a suet crust and originally boiled in a bag

steak and kidney pudding

See pudding defined for English-language learners

See pudding defined for kids

Recent Examples of pudding from the Web

Ruby ’s Diner, Queens ParkOrder like a Sydneysider and get a turmeric latte and coconut rice pudding.

— erin florio, Condé Nast Traveler, "What to Do in Sydney: The Black Book," 5 July 2018
Bake until pudding is very firm and no longer jiggles, about 45 minutes.

— chronicle staff, San Francisco Chronicle, "4 recipes from now-closed Terra in St. Helena," 11 June 2018
Sweets – tres leches cake, flan, churros and rice pudding – bring up the rear.

— greg morago, Houston Chronicle, "First look: Dream Tacos TX," 7 June 2018
People are loving the spanakopita, also known as spinach pie, and the rice pudding.

— jessi virtusio, Post-Tribune, "The Simple Greek offers healthy fast-casual meals in Munster," 6 June 2018
The banana pudding dessert at Norwegian's new smokehouse, Q. The dessert is a generations-old recipe from the aunt of Robin Lindsey, NCL's head of vessel operations.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Riding 30 mph go-karts at sea? NCL strives for high-energy fun with its new cruise ship | Miami Herald," 11 May 2018
Take a knife and release the pudding from the walls of the cup.

— julia sherman, New York Times, "A Cookbook of Artists’ Creative Summer Desserts," 22 June 2018
Conagra plans to renovate its snack lines next, which include Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn and Snack Pack puddings.

— aaron back, WSJ, "Why the Frozen-Food Aisle Is Hot Right Now," 7 June 2018
These fried doughnut-style balls of dough are also offered as dessert, along with fried fudge hand pies and a classic Southern offering great for chilling the heat in your mouth, creamy banana pudding.

— larry olmsted, USA TODAY, "The Nashville Hot Chicken spot for everyone," 7 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pudding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pudding

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

PUDDING Defined for English Language Learners

pudding

noun

Definition of pudding for English Language Learners

: a thick, sweet, soft, and creamy food that is usually eaten cold at the end of a meal
: a sweet, soft food that is made of rice, bread, etc.
: a hot dish like a pie that has a mixture of meat or vegetables inside of it