Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA plant of certain species of the genus Brassica, or of related genera (especially Sinapis alba, in the family Brassicaceae, with yellow flowers, and linear seed pods).
nounPowder or paste made from seeds of the mustard plant, and used as a condiment or a spice.
Sentence Examples
I'd like to have mustard on the side.
Easy on the mustard.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He put a dollop of yellow ____ on his hot dog before eating it.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I always put a little bit of spicy ____ on my hot dog to give it an extra kick of flavor that makes it much more delicious to eat.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He's left-handed and in his adulthood didn't have a baseball glove to call his own. He borrowed one of mine and just out of the car, still wearing his lab coat having worked an overnight shift, he taught himself to throw right-handed and put plenty of mustard on it."
— 2022 October 20, Scott Russell, “Sport was the great connection for Scott Russell and his father”, in CBC News, archived from the original on 22 Oct 2022:
"Everything about her year-old restaurant, from the minimalist menu (about a dozen items) with refreshingly drivel-free descriptions to the decor (unadorned warm mustard walls, unclothed bistro tables), reflects her love of bringing people to the table for good, simple food that's not eclipsed by bells and whistles."
— 2007, Cincinnati Magazine, page 81:
"My expectations of public services were nil, so any time within a month was fine by me. They did it in less than a week, which was mustard."
— 2005, Bernard Hare, Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew, London: Sceptre, →ISBN, page 168: