nutmeg

[ nuht-meg ]
See synonyms for: nutmegnutmegs on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the hard, aromatic seed of the fruit of an East Indian tree, Myristica fragrans, used in grated form as a spice.

  2. the similar product of certain other trees of the same genus or other genera.

  1. a tree bearing such seeds.

Origin of nutmeg

1
1300–50; Middle English notemug(g)e, perhaps back formation from *notemugede (-ede being taken as -ed3), equivalent to notenut + mugede<Old French <Late Latin muscāta musky; see musk, -ate1

Other words from nutmeg

  • nutmegged, adjective

Words Nearby nutmeg

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

How to use nutmeg in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nutmeg

nutmeg

/ (ˈnʌtmɛɡ) /


noun
  1. an East Indian evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, cultivated in the tropics for its hard aromatic seed: family Myristicaceae: See also mace 2

  2. the seed of this tree, used as a spice

  1. any of several similar trees or their fruit

  2. a greyish-brown colour

verb-megs, -megging or -megged (tr)
  1. British sport informal to kick or hit the ball between the legs of (an opposing player)

Origin of nutmeg

1
C13: from Old French nois muguede, from Old Provençal noz muscada musk-scented nut, from Latin nux nut + muscus musk

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