black mustard

American  

[blak muhs-terd] / ˈblæk ˈmʌs tərd /

noun

1. the cruciferous plant Brassica nigra, the seeds of which are ground into a pungent spice or used whole, as in Indian cuisine, and are a chief ingredient of many commercially prepared mustards: black mustard is sometimes mistakenly classified as Sinapis nigra, but it does not belong to same genus as white mustard (S. alba ).

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black mustard British  

noun

1. a Eurasian plant, Brassica (or Sinapsis ) nigra , with clusters of yellow flowers and pungent seeds from which the condiment mustard is made: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

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Etymology

Origin of black mustard

First recorded in 1300–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

black mustard

It was a warm October evening and the swaths of black mustard weed on the trail had completely dried up, leaving the towering stalks spindly and bare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2024

It has also led to a destructive superbloom of black mustard, a fast-growing invasive plant that chokes out native vegetation relied on by native pollinators and, in turn, the birds that eat them.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2023

Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness about a destructive flower that proliferated in the state following an unusually wet winter: wild black mustard.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 15, 2023

There are also black mustard seeds, which have a distinctive sharp flavor.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 2, 2023

The following glucosides, found in the seeds of white and black mustard, are the best-known representatives of this class.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred