Phrase guide

mustard seed

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A small, round seed of the mustard plant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eye of newt

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A small amount.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bit, crumb, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, glimpse, dab, damn, dash, diddly, glint, dot, spatter, drop, dusting, fleck, glimmer, hint, flip, flyspeck, grain, halfpennyworth, inch, iota, jot, lick, mite, modicum, molecule, morceau, morsel, mote, ooch, ounce, particle, pennyworth, piece, pinch, relish, scantling, semblance, scent, scintilla, scooch, scrap, scruple, shred, skerrick, skoosh, skosh, sliver, smattering, smidge, smidgen, smidget, smidgy, smitch, smithereen, soupçon, spark, speck, speckle, spot, sprinkle, sprinkling, strain, tad, tidbit, tidge, tinge, tittle, toddick, touch, trace, trifle, tuppence worth, vestige, whiff, whit

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Small lead shot, usually of size No. 12, used for shooting birds and other animals at close range.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, attributive, countable, uncountable

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dust shot, rat shot, snake shot

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

black or white seeds ground to make mustard pastes or powders

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flavorer, flavourer, flavoring, flavouring, seasoner, seasoning

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: синалено семе оцет (sinaleno seme ocet) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Catalan: llavors de mostassa — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Catalan: grans de mostassa — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Chinese Cantonese: 芥菜籽 (gaai3 coi3 zi2) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 芥菜籽 (jiècàizǐ) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Chinese Mandarin: 芥菜種 /芥菜种 (jiècàizhǒng) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Czech: hořčičné semínko — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Danish: sennepsfrø — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Dutch: mosterdzaad — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Finnish: sinapinsiemen — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Finnish: sinapinsiemenet — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • French: graine de moutarde — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • French: cosse de moutarde — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • German: Senfsaat — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • German: Senfschrot — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • German: Senfkorn — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Hungarian: mustármag — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Italian: semi di senape — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Japanese: カラシナ — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sennepsfrø — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Plautdietsch: Sampkuarn — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Polish: ziarno gorczyca — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Portuguese: semente de mostarda — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Romanian: boabă de muștar — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Russian: горчичное зерно (gorčičnoje zerno) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Serbo-Croatian: sjemenke gorušice — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Serbo-Croatian: seme slačice — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Slovene: gorčično seme — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Spanish: grano de mostaza — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Spanish: semilla de mostaza — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Swedish: senapsfrö — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Swedish: senapskorn — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Tamil: கடுகு (kaṭuku) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Yiddish: זענעפֿט־קערל (zeneft-kerl) — small, round seed of the mustard plant
  • Yiddish: זענעפֿט־זוימען (zeneft-zoymen) — small, round seed of the mustard plant