nutcracker

[ nuht-krak-er ]

/ ˈnʌtˌkræk ər /

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noun

an instrument or device for cracking the shells of nuts.

any of several corvine birds of the genus Nucifraga that feed on nuts, as the common nutcracker, N. caryocatactes, of Europe and Clark's nutcracker, N. columbiana, of the western U.S.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nutcracker

First recorded in 1540–50; nut + cracker

Words nearby nutcracker

nutant, nutate, nutation, nutbrown, nutcase, nutcracker, Nutcracker Suite, nut dash, nutgall, nut grass, nuthatch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nutcracker in a sentence

Or Spike Jones cracks me up with his subversion of The Nutcracker.
Christmas Music Sucks (Mostly), but Here’s a Playlist of Holiday Gems|Malcolm Jones|December 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She set her mind on getting a part in The Nutcracker and devoted all waking hours to preparing for the audition.
Father of the Bride|Rebecca Dana, Lloyd Grove|July 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Of course, the headline, “Zemeckis to Uglimate The Nutcracker,” might have set a certain unappreciative tone.
James Cameron's Titanic Gamble|Kim Masters|November 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
There were enormous nutcracker men, 8- to 10-feet-tall, out by the gate in front of the house.
Nicolas Cage, Compulsive Spender|Jacob Bernstein|November 3, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Yet Serenade for Strings in C Major sounded nothing like the Nutcracker or Swan Lake.
How to Write a Winning Ivy League Essay|Kathleen Kingsbury|October 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He was a young man with a clear, hairless face, a long thin nose, and rather nutcracker jaws.
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893|Various
She had a stick and a nutcracker face and a pair of large iron bowed spectacles.
Robin|Frances Hodgson Burnett
Old Squirrel Nutcracker sat outside his doorstep while Mrs. Nutcracker hung out the rugs and beat the sofa cushions.
Little Jack Rabbit and Chippy Chipmunk|David Cory
They hadn't heard Featherhead, the naughty son of Squirrel Nutcracker, take down the sign.
Little Jack Rabbit and Chippy Chipmunk|David Cory
He was not strong enough to throw it far and it only fell at her feet, but Mary's face looked as pinched as a nutcracker.
The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett

British Dictionary definitions for nutcracker

nutcracker

/ (ˈnʌtˌkrækə) /

noun

(often plural) a device for cracking the shells of nuts

either of two birds, Nucifraga caryocatactes of the Old World or N. columbianus (Clark's nutcracker) of North America, having speckled plumage and feeding on nuts, seeds, etc: family Corvidae (crows)

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