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 palate shows similar flavors with accents of lemon custard, sorbet, and golden plum skin. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

The palate follows with prominent notes of juicy stone fruit, along with dark berries, lemon custard, caramel, raisin, pepper jelly, leather, and sweet pipe tobacco. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2025

Crushed pistachios, slivered almonds and two blackberries spread over a silky custard awash with sweet, nutty flavor. —Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025

The high-quality metal bonding, along with a heavy bottom, means no hot spots on the pan and heightened precision when working with delicate liquids like caramels and custards. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 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