A creamy, smooth dessert made from eggs, milk, sugar, and flavorings, baked until set.
From Old French 'custarde,' originally 'crust' (from the open pie crust in which it was served), from Latin 'crusta.' The pastry-based origin of the word reflects how the dessert was traditionally presented.
Custard's name reveals medieval cooking practices: it started as a filling in a crust, and the dish was named after its container—like how we might say 'pie' for a dish that's actually defined by what's inside it!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.