Definition

Noun: A traditional British dessert, especially associated with Christmas, that is a rich, dense, steamed or boiled pudding. It typically contains suet, dried fruits (such as raisins, currants, and sultanas—historically referred to as "plums"), spices, and sometimes alcohol. Its texture is moist and cake-like.

Usage and Examples

• The centerpiece of our Christmas dinner is always a flaming plum pudding.
• My grandmother's recipe for plum pudding requires it to be steamed for several hours.
• We served the plum pudding with brandy butter or hard sauce.

Advanced Usage

• "As American as plum pudding": An ironic phrase highlighting something that is distinctly American, as plum pudding is a quintessentially British dish. This is used to point out a cultural mismatch or stereotype.
  • His love for baseball is about as American as plum pudding.

Variants and Related Words

• Christmas Pudding: A direct synonym for plum pudding, emphasizing its holiday association.
• Figgy Pudding: An older, related term for a similar type of boiled pudding containing figs, sometimes used interchangeably or referenced in carols like "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Synonyms

• Christmas pudding
• Steamed pudding (general category)

Idioms and Phrases

• "The proof of the pudding is in the eating": This proverb, often shortened, means the true value or quality of something can only be judged by putting it to its intended use. While it can refer to any pudding, it is historically connected to dense, boiled puddings like plum pudding.
  • The new software design looks good, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Noun

1. a rich steamed or boiled pudding that resembles cake