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

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

Arley Harriman, a retired advertising executive living in Delavan, Wisc., said she loves Culver’s service and cleanliness, plus the quality of its cod sandwiches and custard ice cream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Let the mixture sit for 15 to 20 minutes, pressing the bread down once or twice so it can fully absorb the custard.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

The song's hiccupy beat, and zany references to jam roly poly and custard left Europe bewildered.

From BBC ● May 17, 2026

It’s creamy and rich, more like custard or pudding than something you’d expect to find growing on a tree.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

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

Before long, I saw Earl Grey ice cream, custards, macarons and other sweets around town.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 15, 2023

“One quarter of rhubarb and custards, and one of crystallized ginger.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell