# custard

/ˈkəstɝd/ (US) · /kˈʌstəd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/custard
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

a sweet, creamy sauce made from milk, eggs, and sugar. You can eat it hot or cold, often on top of desserts like fruit or cake.

For teachers: a culinary preparation consisting of a sweetened mixture of milk or cream and egg yolks, thickened by heat. Often served as a dessert sauce or used as a filling in pastries.

## Examples

- She poured hot custard over the apple pie.
- The chef whisked the custard constantly over low heat to ensure the eggs did not scramble.
- While traditional custard relies on the coagulation of egg proteins for its thick texture, many modern commercial varieties use cornstarch as a stabilizing agent to prevent curdling.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to specific types or individual servings.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.