ˈməstə(r)d noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English mostard, mustard, from Old French mostarde, moustarde condiment made from mustard seed and must, mustard, from moust must, from Latin mustum — more at must
1.
a. : 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 (as with water or vinegar) and sometimes adulterated with other substances (as turmeric) or mixed with spices 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
b. slang : something that adds strength or piquancy : enthusiasm , zest
kick a lot of mustard out of … 'em — J.T.Farrell
a lot of muscle and mustard — Time
2.
a.
(1) : any of several plants of the genus Brassica that have lyrately lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods and that include some which are cultivated for their pungent seed or for their edible foliage — see black mustard , indian mustard , white mustard
(2) : any of various other plants of the family Cruciferae — used chiefly in combination; see hedge mustard , wormseed mustard
b. : toothbrush tree
3.
a. : a dark yellow
b. : a moderate yellow — compare mustard yellow
4.
a. : mustard gas
b. : nitrogen mustard