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Synonyms

curd

American  
[kurd] / kɜrd /

noun

  1. Often curds. a substance consisting mainly of casein and the like, obtained from milk by coagulation, and used as food or made into cheese.

  2. any substance resembling this.

  3. Also called curd cheese.  Chiefly Northeastern and Southern U.S. cottage cheese.

  4. the edible flower heads of cauliflower, broccoli, and similar plants.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to turn into curd; coagulate; congeal.

curd British  
/ kɜːd /

noun

  1. (often plural) a substance formed from the coagulation of milk by acid or rennet, used in making cheese or eaten as a food

  2. something similar in consistency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to turn into or become curd

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Regionalisms

See cottage cheese.

Other Word Forms

  • curdiness noun
  • curdy adjective
  • uncurd verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of curd

1325–75; Middle English curden (v.), variant of crudden to crud, congeal; crowd 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Standing outside a supermarket Ethan tells us he's heard very good reviews of lemon curd hot cross buns.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Layers of crisp lemon wafer cookies, lemon zest–spiked whipped cream and a tangy smear of lemon curd between each tier.

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2025

"I like George Simion," staff member Mihaela announces with a smile, while squeezing liquid from big clumps of curd cheese.

From BBC • May 18, 2025

Fans also line up on weekends for its rice rolls, chicken sticky rice, egg yolk buns and bean curd wrap with pork and enoki mushroom.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024

The coolhouse was packed with cheeses, vats of smooth white milk curd, churns of butter.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.