nugget

[ nuhg-it ]

/ ˈnʌg ɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nugget ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a lump of something, as of precious metal.

a lump of native gold.

anything of great value, significance, or the like: nuggets of wisdom.

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

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

Australian.

a powerful, heavy animal.
a strong, thickset man.

Nearby words

nugacious, nugacity, nugae, nugatory, nuggar, nugget, nuggety, nuggie, nuisance, nuisance ground, nuisance tax

Origin of nugget

1850–55; perhaps diminutive of obsolete nug small piece, variant of nog²; see -et

Related forms

nug·get·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nugget

I always find at least one nugget of information that I can immediately apply to the work I do.
The Best Apps for Developing Sherlock Holmes-Like Reading Skills|Ari Meisel|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Wen Wei Po article contains a nugget that tells us why Beijing wanted to get back at the regime in Pyongyang.
North Korea's Monstrous Murder Methods|Gordon G. Chang|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet inside this shabby story is a nugget of insight screaming to get out.
Why is David Siegel so Mad?|David Frum|October 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The same digger at another time related to us how and when he had found his first nugget.
A Boy's Voyage Round the World|The Son of Samuel Smiles

When they were found, the victor had the nugget hugged closely to his breast, as if he did not want to part with it even in death.
Elam Storm, The Wolfer|Harry Castlemon
Clay was chaffed unmercifully about the calf, and Nugget also came in for a goodly share of ridicule.
Canoe Boys and Campfires|William Murray Graydon
Here obviously I did get a nugget of new data, though it was just about the only one.
The Night of the Long Knives|Fritz Reuter Leiber
This was the nugget upon which a new family beginning was made.
The Romance of a Great Store|Edward Hungerford

British Dictionary definitions for nugget (1 of 2)

nugget

/ (ˈnʌɡɪt) /

noun

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

something small but valuable or excellent

Word Origin for nugget

C19: origin unknown

British Dictionary definitions for nugget (2 of 2)

Nugget

/ (ˈnʌɡɪt) NZ /

noun

trademark shoe polish

verb

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012