mustard

UK[ˈmʌs.təd]US[ˈmʌs.tɚd]

nounB13 meanings Common in everyday speech and writing · #3,198 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: mustards

Mustard is the sharp yellow paste made from ground mustard seeds. English mustard, Dijon mustard, a spoonful of mustard.

The strengths differ enormously and it is worth knowing: English mustard is fierce, French mustards are milder and more aromatic, and American mustard is mild and very yellow. It is also the plant and the seed, and mustard as a colour is a dull brownish yellow. Note cut the mustard, meaning to be good enough, which is American in origin and always used in the negative — he could not cut the mustard.

Definitions of mustard

1nounmustardA sharp yellow paste made from ground seeds.B1
“There is mustard in the door of the fridge.”
- Said"Go easy with the mustard; the hot one takes the roof off your mouth."
- WrittenA smear of mustard was the only colour on the plate, and it was enough.
- UsedStir a teaspoon of mustard into the dressing to help it hold together.
- ContrastMustard, not ketchup. Ketchup is sweet and red; mustard is sharp and yellow, and a little goes a long way. ketchup →
- Not thisMayonnaise with a hint of turmeric is not mustard. Mustards bite.
- SimplyI like mustard on my ham. It is strong.
PatternEnglish / French / wholegrain mustard · a dab / spoonful of mustard · mustard on + noun · mustard seeds
2nounplantThe plant the seeds come from.B1
“A whole field of mustard in flower is startlingly yellow.”
3noundullA dull brownish-yellow colour.B2
“She was wearing a mustard coat.”

mustard is a condiment.

Remember it

MUSTard → you MUST have it on a hot dog

You must have it on a hot dog: the sharp yellow line across the top.

Phrases it lives in

cut the mustard — be good enough for the job — nearly always said in the negative

Where it comes from

Old French moustarde comes from Latin mustum, new wine — the paste was originally made by mixing ground seed with unfermented grape juice. The plant is named after the liquid it was mixed with rather than after itself.

Latin
mustum
Old French
moustarde
Middle English
mustard
English, today
mustard

Built from

moust · Old French — must

From Middle English mustard, from Old French moustarde (French moutarde), from moust (“must”), from Latin mustum. Compare stq Muster (“mustard”), Dutch mosterd (“mustard”), German Low German Musterd (“mustard”), Icelandic mustarður (“mustard”). Displaced Middle English senep, from Old English senep, from Latin sināpi (“mustard”). Sometimes mistakenly thought to come from Latin mustum ardens, but such a Latin phrase is not attested, and it is well understood that that the final -ard is derived from Old French -arde. a doublet of mostarda.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in In the Kitchen, Colours & Patterns

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Definitions of mustard

1nounmustardA sharp yellow paste made from ground seeds.B1

“There is mustard in the door of the fridge.”

Said"Go easy with the mustard; the hot one takes the roof off your mouth."
WrittenA smear of mustard was the only colour on the plate, and it was enough.
UsedStir a teaspoon of mustard into the dressing to help it hold together.
ContrastMustard, not ketchup. Ketchup is sweet and red; mustard is sharp and yellow, and a little goes a long way. ketchup →
Not thisMayonnaise with a hint of turmeric is not mustard. Mustards bite.
SimplyI like mustard on my ham. It is strong.

PatternEnglish / French / wholegrain mustard · a dab / spoonful of mustard · mustard on + noun · mustard seeds

2nounplantThe plant the seeds come from.B1

“A whole field of mustard in flower is startlingly yellow.”

3noundullA dull brownish-yellow colour.B2

“She was wearing a mustard coat.”

mustard is a condiment.