nutmeg
Americannoun
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the hard, aromatic seed of the fruit of an East Indian tree, Myristica fragrans, used in grated form as a spice.
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the similar product of certain other trees of the same genus or other genera.
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a tree bearing such seeds.
noun
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an East Indian evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, cultivated in the tropics for its hard aromatic seed: family Myristicaceae See also mace 2
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the seed of this tree, used as a spice
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any of several similar trees or their fruit
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a greyish-brown colour
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of nutmeg
1300–50; Middle English notemug ( g ) e, perhaps back formation from *notemugede ( -ede being taken as -ed 3 ), equivalent to note nut + mugede < Old French < Late Latin muscāta musky; see musk, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice add a subtle, spiced echo of the season.
From Salon • Sep. 27, 2025
Nutmeg was once so valuable that, in 1667, the Dutch traded Manhattan for Pulau Rhun, a tiny isle in Indonesia where it was grown.
From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2024
Costa Mesa firefighters knocked down the fire on Nutmeg Place, and a subsequent analysis of evidence showed that a glass container and other materials at the scene contained gasoline.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2023
Nutmeg said in a statement that Mr Hungerford was one of Britain's "most successful fintech entrepreneurs".
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2023
Under my window, Nutmeg and Cinnamon purr happily, shuffling through the shavings in their cage.
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
