nutmeg
Americannoun
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nutmegs
plural
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the hard, aromatic seed of the fruit of an East Indian tree, Myristica fragrans, used in grated form as a spice.
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the similar product of certain other trees of the same genus or other genera.
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a tree bearing such seeds.
noun
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an East Indian evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, cultivated in the tropics for its hard aromatic seed: family Myristicaceae See also mace 2
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the seed of this tree, used as a spice
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any of several similar trees or their fruit
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a greyish-brown colour
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of nutmeg
1300–50; Middle English notemug ( g ) e, perhaps back formation from *notemugede ( -ede being taken as -ed 3 ), equivalent to note nut + mugede < Old French < Late Latin muscāta musky; see musk, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Jamaican jerk seasoning, made with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, is a reminder that the spice route reached all the way to the Western Hemisphere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
The steakhouse creamed spinach, perfumed with nutmeg and unapologetically rich.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026
The waffles’ autumnal rendition incorporates pumpkin purée and seasonal spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to create a warming sweet treat that embodies fall joy.
From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2025
It’s then seasoned with sage, nutmeg, and thyme — classic fall flavors — and poured on top of mezzi rigatoni pasta.
From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2025
I used to love these, with their mixture of nutmeg and molasses, but now all I could taste was the weird rush of sugar, the tang of chemicals.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
However, it's complex flavor does taste like the very best combination of cinnamon, nutmegs, and cloves, hence its all-inclusive labeling.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2022
Thomas Partey, a rough-track bully in midfield, nutmegs Bernardo and angles a pass to Martinelli in the inside-left channel.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 1, 2022
He then nutmegs a second challenger before taking off and sliding past two more defenders and the goalkeeper.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2021
Oval Invincibles' Tom Curran nutmegs himself with a shot through his own legs against the Manchester Originals in the opening men's game of The Hundred.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2021
He was grating nutmegs, cautiously sprinkling in cloves, and breaking up cinnamon bark.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
