dry mustard

1 2.5

Powder made from the small seeds of a plant used to add strong taste to food

noun
/draɪ ˈmʌstərd/

: mostaza en polvo

For a spicy dip, combine sour cream with dry mustard, garlic powder, and a touch of lemon juice.
a teaspoon of dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
a tablespoon of dry mustard

Examples

She added dry mustard to the marinade, giving the chicken a tangy kick before grilling.
Add the melted butter and onion, flaked fish, dry mustard, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Academic text (1991)
To enhance the flavor of the dressing, mix in a tablespoon of dry mustard along with the olive oil.

Synonyms

powdered mustard

vsdry mustard

3.2

A fine dry spice made by grinding small yellow or brown seeds

has identical meaning but is the more common cooking term

How Spicy

Chinese mustard

1 3.1

dry mustard

1 2.5

Dijon

8 4.4

Surface Forms

dry mustard singular

dry mustards plural

Morphology

dry + mustard

The phrase 'dry mustard' is a straightforward adjectival composition meaning 'mustard that is dry' (i.e., powdered mustard); a B1 learner who knows 'dry' and 'mustard' can readily infer this. The adjective+noun pattern is compositional and common across languages, so the meaning is immediately transparent from the constituents.

Etymology

Dry mustard comes from a simple picture: the mustard is a fine, dry powder made by grinding seeds, not the wet paste from a jar. That's why the term means powdered mustard used as a 'spice' in cooking.