mustard

noun mus·tard \ˈməs-tərd\

: a thick and spicy yellow or brownish-yellow sauce that is usually eaten with meat

: a plant with yellow flowers, leaves that can be used for food, and seeds that are used in making mustard

: a brownish-yellow color

Full Definition of MUSTARD

a : a pungent yellow powder of the seeds of any of several common mustards (Brassica hirta, B. nigra, or B. juncea) used as a condiment or in medicine as a stimulant and diuretic, an emetic, or a counterirritant

b slang : zest

: any of several herbs (genus Brassica of the family Cruciferae syn. Brassicaceae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods

: a dark to moderate yellow

— mus·tardy \-tər-dē\ adjective

See mustard defined for English-language learners

See mustard defined for kids

Illustration of MUSTARD

Origin of MUSTARD

Middle English, from Anglo-French mustarde, from must must, from Latin mustum

First Known Use: 13th century

Rhymes with MUSTARD

bustard, custard

MUSTARDY Defined for Kids

mustard

noun mus·tard \ˈmə-stərd\

Definition of MUSTARD for Kids

: a sharp-tasting yellow powder that is prepared from the seeds of a plant related to the cabbage and is used especially as a seasoning for foods

Medical Dictionary

mustard

noun mus·tard \ˈməs-tərd\

Medical Definition of MUSTARD

: a pungent yellow condiment consisting of the pulverized seeds of the black mustard or sometimes the white mustard either dry or made into a paste and serving as a stimulant and diuretic or in large doses as an emetic and as a counterirritant when applied to the skin as a poultice

: any of several herbs (genus Brassica of the family Cruciferae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods—see black mustard 1, white mustard

a : mustard gas b : nitrogen mustard