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

This will help prevent a film from forming on the top of the custard. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2025

The post detailed a family reunion that took a sharp turn when the dad's 68-year-old mother fed their baby custard using a spoon, an act that went directly against the couple's parenting rules. —Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025

The salty-sweet-sour combo of lemon lime custard with a saltine crust just can’t be beat. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025

The dessert buffet offers 50 desserts, from elaborate preparations like Floating Island with custard, meringue, and a spun sugar garnish, to comforting grandma style desserts like chocolate mousse and rice pudding. —Michelle Greenwald, Forbes, 12 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