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

The first was a Quarter Sheets menu classic: olive oil chiffon with fresh passionfruit and bay leaf-infused custard.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

A further four people have been charged over a separate incident in which crumble and custard was thrown at a display case containing the Crown Jewels on 6 December 2025.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The chorus is partially sung in German, while the verses reference traditional English desserts like "roly poly with custard".

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

The film’s repeated invocation of its own title in different contexts is another instance of adding too many eggs to the custard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

“Did you use that styling custard I suggested?”

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone