nutcracker

American  

[nuht-krak-er] / ˈnʌtˌkræk ər /

noun

1. an instrument or device for cracking the shells of nuts.

2. 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.

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nutcracker British  

/ ˈnʌtˌkrækə /

noun

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

2. 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)

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Etymology

Origin of nutcracker

First recorded in 1540–50; nut + cracker

Example Sentences

Paranthropus has long been labeled the "nutcracker" genus, a nickname inspired by its massive jaws, thick tooth enamel, and oversized molars.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

“The Nutcracker” is a two-act ballet that follows a girl named Clara who receives a nutcracker doll for Christmas.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

Even the famed nutcracker museum sat largely empty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1892 score follows the story of a young girl who falls into a fantastical dream after being gifted a nutcracker doll.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 19, 2023

A nutcracker in the shape of a foreign soldier.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck