custard

Everyday

1. (UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland) A sweet yellow sauce made from milk, eggs or custard powder and sugar, poured over puddings. tree →
2. A soft, set dessert of milk and eggs, often baked (egg custard, a custard tart). tree →
3. (US) Frozen custard, a kind of ice cream. tree →
4. (UK informal) A cowardly custard is a person who is easily frightened and unwilling to face danger. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and food lessons: apple crumble and custard, custard tarts. In science: custard thickens when heated (proteins in eggs set; cornflour swells). Custard made from cornflour and water acts strangely (oobleck): solid if you hit it, liquid if you go slow.

Examples

• We had apple crumble with custard. tree →
• The custard was hot and sweet. tree →
• Gran made egg custard tarts. tree →
• Custard thickens as it heats. tree →
• Cornflour and water make a non-Newtonian «custard» you can run on. tree →
• I spilled custard down my jumper. tree →
• “So are you a cowardly custard.” tree →

Note

Uncountable as the sauce. Custard pie is used in comedy to throw in someone's face. Do not confuse with «mustard» (yellow, spicy).