custard

American  

[kuhs-terd] / ˈkʌs tərd /

noun

1. a dessert made of eggs, sugar, and milk, either baked, boiled, or frozen.

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custard British  

/ ˈkʌstəd /

noun

1. a baked sweetened mixture of eggs and milk

2. a sauce made of milk and sugar and thickened with cornflour

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Etymology

Origin of custard

1400–50; late Middle English, metathetic variant of earlier crustade kind of pie. See crust, -ade ¹; compare Provençal croustado

Compare meaning

How does custard compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• custard vs. ice cream

Explanation

Custard is a sweet, pudding-like dessert that's usually made with eggs. You might prefer frozen custard to ice cream as a summertime treat. Custard comes in a few different forms, including baked, frozen, and boiled. Baked custard is made with a combination of eggs, milk or cream, sugar, and sometimes flavoring, chocolate, or spices, that's cooked in small dishes sitting in a pan of water. The result is smooth, creamy, and rich. In the 14th century, a custard was a "meat or fruit pie," from croustado, an Old Provençal word literally meaning "something covered with crust."

Example Sentences

“What’s not to like? Custard, good. Jam, good. Meat, goood.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

The answer is in the episode: it was part of Custard Week, a typical component of baked goods, desserts, and decadent scoops.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2022

He had just read a 1936 poem by Ogden Nash titled “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” and felt inspired to write his own.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2022

The BBC understands Mould has since left his offices at the Custard Factory, which says it terminated his lease after his activities were brought to its attention.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2018

Shadow observed a Culver’s Frozen Custard ButterBurgers sign, and, next to it, a gas station.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman