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

In my recipe the mashed roasted peaches, custard, and cream combine and sit overnight in the fridge to churn into ice cream the next morning. —Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 22 May 2025

Featured in a plastic blister package, the Hugh figurine is seen holding a custard cone and comes with a red Andy's hat that can be added to the figure. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025

Bulbous egg custard buns ($2 or three for $5.70) were nearly as stellar and eye-catching, dyed a soft yellow, cross-hatched to look like chicken skin and holding a luscious, creamy river inside. —Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025

The palate features similar flavors with coconut milk, custard, and sugar cane note. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 16 May 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