# pudding

/ˈpʊdɪŋ/ (US) · /pˈʊdɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pudding
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. the dessert course

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

the sweet course at the end of a meal.

For teachers: the final sweet course of a meal; used as a synonym for dessert in British English.

- The children finished their vegetables because they wanted to have pudding.
- In many British households, the term 'pudding' is used generically for any sweet dish served after the main course, regardless of its ingredients.

Usage: Often used uncountably when referring to the course itself.

### 2. creamy dessert

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a soft, creamy sweet food often made with milk and sugar.

For teachers: a sweet, soft food with a consistency similar to custard, typically thickened with cornstarch or flour.

- He ate a small bowl of chocolate pudding for his afternoon snack.
- The recipe calls for constant stirring to ensure the vanilla pudding achieves a smooth, silk-like texture without any lumps.

### 3. steamed or boiled dish

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a dish made by steaming or boiling ingredients in a cloth or basin.

For teachers: a cooked dish, either sweet or savoury, prepared by steaming or boiling a mixture of ingredients, often containing suet or batter.

- We always have a traditional steamed plum pudding on Christmas Day.
- The steak and kidney pudding was steamed for several hours until the suet pastry became tender and the filling rich and succulent.

### 4. savoury sausage

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a type of sausage often made with blood or meat and grains.

For teachers: a savoury sausage-like food, such as black pudding or white pudding, typically made from blood, fat, and cereal.

- A traditional full English breakfast usually includes a slice of black pudding.
- The chef served the seared scallops with a crumble of black pudding to provide a salty, earthy contrast to the delicate seafood.

### 5. term of endearment

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

a sweet name you call someone you love.

For teachers: a colloquial term of endearment used for a partner or child.

- Don't worry about the mess, pudding, we can clean it up later.
- While some find it overly sentimental, she frequently addressed her grandchildren as 'pudding' when they came to visit.

### 6. overweight person

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Humorous

a slightly rude word for someone who is fat.

For teachers: a derogatory or humorous slang term for an overweight or obese person.

- He used to be a bit of a pudding when he was a teenager, but he's very fit now.
- The comedian made several self-deprecating jokes about being a 'bit of a pudding' before he started his strict new exercise regime.

## Examples

- We had chocolate pudding for dessert after dinner.
- The children finished their vegetables quickly because they knew there was sticky toffee pudding waiting for them.
- While the term typically refers to sweet desserts in modern parlance, traditional recipes like Yorkshire pudding or black pudding represent the word's historical savory origins.

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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.