pudding
gb/pˈʊdɪŋ/ us/pˈʊdɪŋ/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
soft sweet dessert, often creamy
a sweet dessert that is soft and thick
Usage pattern:
[a/an] pudding; pudding (uncountable)
Common mistake:
In American English, plain "pudding" often means a creamy dessert (like chocolate pudding), not any dessert in general.
Synonyms
custard (Often similar in texture, but custard is typically egg-based.)
|
dessert (Broader; includes cakes, ice cream, etc., not only soft puddings.)
Collocations
chocolate pudding
|vanilla pudding
|banana pudding
|rice pudding
|bread pudding
|instant pudding
|pudding mix
|pudding cup
|homemade pudding
|pudding for dessert
Themes
food
|cooking
|daily_life
Examples
- She made chocolate pudding for dessert.
- I like my pudding served cold with whipped cream.
- The recipe says to stir the pudding until it thickens.
Learner examples
- I want chocolate pudding.
- We ate pudding after dinner.
Noun
B1
entity
2
dessert course (British use)
dessert (British English)
Usage pattern:
for pudding; what's for pudding?
Common mistake:
Learners may think "pudding" always means a creamy dessert; in the UK it can mean the whole dessert course.
Synonyms
dessert (The standard term in many varieties of English.)
Collocations
for pudding
|have pudding
|what's for pudding?
|pudding menu
|pudding course
Themes
food
|daily_life
Examples
- What's for pudding tonight?
- We had roast chicken, and then apple crumble for pudding.
- Do you want ice cream for pudding?
Learner examples
- What's for pudding?
- We had pudding after the main course.
Noun
B2
entity
3
sausage-like savory pudding
a kind of cooked sausage, sometimes made with blood
Usage pattern:
[type] pudding (e.g., black pudding)
Common mistake:
This meaning is usually used with a type word ("black pudding"), not as plain "pudding" in everyday conversation.
Synonyms
blood sausage (Close equivalent for black pudding; not all puddings contain blood.)
Collocations
black pudding
|white pudding
|slice of pudding
|fried pudding
|pudding with breakfast
Themes
food
|cooking
Examples
- He ordered a full breakfast with black pudding.
- Some recipes make pudding with oats and spices.
- They served fried slices of pudding on the side.
Learner examples
- Black pudding is a kind of sausage.
- He ate pudding with his breakfast.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pudding
IPA
GB/pˈʊdɪŋ/
US/pˈʊdɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
pud - ding (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pud)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pudding
- Plural: pudding, puddings
Word family
Forms
puddings
noun
Expressions
black pudding
1/blˈæk pˈʊdɪŋ/
fixed phrase
blood sausage (UK/IE)
a sausage made with blood
Examples
- He tried black pudding for the first time at a café in Edinburgh.
- Some people eat black pudding as part of a cooked breakfast.
- The menu lists black pudding with scallops.
christmas pudding
1/kɹˈɪsməs pˈʊdɪŋ/
fixed phrase
traditional British Christmas dessert
a traditional British dessert eaten at Christmas
Examples
- They set the Christmas pudding on fire with brandy before serving it.
- My grandmother makes Christmas pudding weeks in advance.
- We had Christmas pudding with custard.
pudding bowl haircut
1/pˈʊdɪŋ bˈoʊl hˈɛɹkˌʌt/
fixed phrase
informal
bowl-cut hairstyle
a haircut shaped like a bowl
Examples
- In the old photo, he's wearing a classic pudding bowl haircut.
- She joked that his fringe looked like a pudding bowl haircut.
- The actor had a pudding bowl haircut for the role.
pudding head
1/pˈʊdɪŋ hˈɛd/
fixed phrase
informal
stupid person (insult)
a rude word for a stupid person
Examples
- Don't be such a pudding head—it's the wrong button.
- He called his brother a pudding head and got told off.
- I felt like a pudding head when I forgot her name.
the proof is in the pudding
1/ðə pɹˈuf ˈɪz ˈɪn ðə pˈʊdɪŋ/
idiom
results show the true value
you only know if it works after you try it
Examples
- The new software looks impressive, but the proof is in the pudding once we start using it.
- He promised the changes would help; the proof is in the pudding.
- It sounds like a good idea, but the proof is in the pudding.
the proof is in the pudding
3/ðə pɹˈuf ˈɪz ˈɪn ðə pˈʊdɪŋ/
idiom
informal
results show real value
You can only know how good something is by trying it or seeing the results.
Examples
- You say your cake is great, but the proof is in the pudding.
- The design looks nice, but the proof is in the pudding once we test it.
yorkshire pudding
1/jˈɔɹkʃˌaɪɚ pˈʊdɪŋ/
fixed phrase
baked batter dish with roasts
a baked batter side dish from the UK
Examples
- We had roast beef with Yorkshire puddings and gravy.
- Her Yorkshire pudding rose perfectly in the oven.
- You can make Yorkshire pudding in a muffin tin.