: a pungent yellow condiment consisting of the pulverized seeds of various mustard plants (such as Sinapis alba, Brassica juncea, and B. nigra) either dry or made into a paste or sauce (as by mixing with water or vinegar) and sometimes adulterated with other substances (such as turmeric) or mixed with spices
b
: the seed of a mustard plant used as a spice and in medicine as a stimulant and diuretic, an emetic, or a counterirritant
: any of several herbs (genera Brassica and Sinapis of the family Brassicaceae synonym Cruciferae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods
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It is paired with a wild garlic mustard sauce, blackcurrant purée, shallot purée, and a pigeon pâté—finished with whisky, which is also incorporated into the pâté.—Carinne Geil Botta, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seeds, turmeric, and celery seed.—Jed Portman, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026 The main living area is light and airy yet cozy, with oak flooring, a red-brick fireplace, and furnishings in vibrant shades of blue and mustard yellow.—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 14 May 2026 Offerings included salmon in mustard sauce, lobster in tomato soup, and stewed seasonal vegetables, The New York Times reported.—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mustard
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French mustarde, from must must, from Latin mustum
: 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
2
: any of several herbs (genus Brassica of the family Brassicaceae synonym Cruciferae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods see black mustardsense 1, white mustard