nugget

American  

[nuhg-it] / ˈnʌg ɪt /

noun

1. a lump of something, as of precious metal.

2. a lump of native gold.

3. anything of great value, significance, or the like.

   nuggets of wisdom.

4. a bite-size piece of chicken, fish, etc., usually batter-fried.

5. Welding. (in a spot-weld) the metal fused.

6. Australian.

   1. a powerful, heavy animal.

   2. a strong, thickset man.

---

Nugget ¹ British  

/ ˈnʌɡɪt /

noun

1. shoe polish

---

verb

1. informal (tr; sometimes not capital) to shine (shoes)

nugget ² British  

/ ˈnʌɡɪt /

noun

1. a small piece or lump, esp of gold in its natural state

2. something small but valuable or excellent

---

Other Word Forms

• nuggety adjective

Etymology

Origin of nugget

1850–55; perhaps diminutive of obsolete nug small piece, variant of nog ²; -et

Example Sentences

It’s notable that Vance saved this nugget about demons for Johnson, who works with TPUSA, which bills itself as a youth outreach organization.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Beguiled by photos of teensy piglets, she chose the runt of the litter—a tiny, shivering nugget for $350.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

A video has gone viral of a four-year-old boy who was left in tears after his dad stole his last chicken nugget at a football match.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

Uber Eats has a year-in-review, too, and you absolutely don’t want your significant other to see what fast food you’ve ordered and whether you’re in the top 1% of nugget eaters.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2025

He can reveal the nugget of sorrow that happiness contains.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy