mustard

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A spicy yellow paste or powder made from mustard seeds, used to flavour food.

   He spread a thin layer of mustard on his ham sandwich.

2. 2
   adj

   Of a dark, brownish-yellow colour.

   She painted the kitchen walls a warm mustard yellow.

3. 3
   noun

   The leafy green of the mustard plant, eaten as a vegetable.

   We added some cooked mustard greens to the stew.

From Middle English mustard, from Old French moustarde (French moutarde), from moust (“must”), from Latin mustum. Compare Saterland Frisian 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. Doublet of mostarda.

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