custard

American  

[kuhs-terd] / ˈkʌs tərd /

noun

• custards
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• custards
  plural

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

See Examples For:

custard custards

As a young numbat scoffs his breakfast – custard with "termite sprinkles" – at Perth Zoo, a keeper explains how this stud's upcoming release at Dryandra will help boost genetic diversity.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

My alma mater Wisconsin is going to be sponsored by Culver’s, the beloved Midwest restaurant chain with frozen custard that melts like a Badger first-quarter lead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

One problem they are currently trying to fix is that custard apple pulp turns brown very quickly after extraction.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Add the brioche to the custard mixture and gently toss to coat.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

I fed him more of the custard and the soup, about every two hours, and he seemed to be hungrier each time.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

From cakes and pies, “Ready for Dessert” moves on to custards and soufflés; frozen desserts; cookies and candies; and basics, such as sauces, creams, etc.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Confections — puddings, custards, fried pastries and milk cake galore — are a key, rather necessary, part of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025

Hernandez, who earned her certificate this spring, has already found a job preparing custards and other items for a cafe and caterer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025

His restaurant experiments with induction burners for recipes that are highly temperature-sensitive, such as custards and caramel.

From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2023

He peered through his eyeglasses at the new arrangements of furniture, the decorative gold and red banners, the guestbook, the teacups and egg custards set on a table near his desk.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu