Definition

Noun: 1. A traditional British dessert served at Christmas: A rich, dense, steamed or boiled pudding that resembles a very moist, dark cake. It is made with suet, dried fruits, spices, and often brandy or other spirits.

Usage

• Christmas pudding is a singular, countable noun. It refers to the specific dessert as a whole item.
• It is typically served as the final course of the Christmas Day meal.
• It is often prepared weeks in advance and "fed" with small amounts of alcohol to mature.

Examples

• "We always light brandy and pour it over the Christmas pudding before serving."
• "My grandmother's recipe for Christmas pudding has been in our family for generations."
• "Would you like custard or brandy butter with your slice of Christmas pudding?"

Advanced Usage

• "To stir the Christmas pudding": Refers to the tradition where each member of the household stirs the pudding mixture and makes a wish.
• "A coin in the Christmas pudding": Refers to the old custom of baking small silver coins or charms into the pudding, which are said to bring luck to the finder.

Variants and Related Words

• Plum pudding: A historical and alternative name for Christmas pudding, though modern recipes rarely contain plums.
• Figgy pudding: Another historical name, sometimes used interchangeably, though it originally contained figs.

Synonyms

• Plum pudding (historical synonym)
• Steamed pudding (descriptive, but not specific to Christmas)

Idioms and Phrases

• "As rich as Christmas pudding": An informal phrase describing something that is very rich, dense, or decadent.
  • That chocolate mousse is as rich as Christmas pudding.

Noun

1. a rich steamed or boiled pudding that resembles cake