nutrient

American  

[noo-tree-uhnt, nyoo-] / ˈnu tri ənt, ˈnju- /

adjective

1. nourishing; providing nourishment or nutriment.

2. containing or conveying nutriment, as solutions or vessels of the body.

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noun

• nutrients
  plural

1. a nutrient substance.

nutrient British  

/ ˈnjuːtrɪənt /

noun

1. any of the mineral substances that are absorbed by the roots of plants for nourishment

2. any substance that nourishes an organism

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adjective

1. providing or contributing to nourishment

   a nutrient solution

nutrient Scientific  

/ no̅o̅′trē-ənt /

1. A substance that provides nourishment for growth or metabolism. Plants absorb nutrients mainly from the soil in the form of minerals and other inorganic compounds, and animals obtain nutrients from ingested foods.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnutrient
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nutrients
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of nutrient

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin nūtrient-, stem of nūtriēns “feeding,” present participle of nūtrīre “to feed”; see nourish

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Explanation

A nutrient is anything that nourishes a living being. We humans get our nutrients from what we eat, plants get theirs from the soil. While the best nutrients are natural, we can also get them from vitamins in a bottle. The words nutrient and nourish both come from the Latin word nūtrīre, "to feed, nurse, support, preserve." Although usually used as a noun, the word nutrient started out in 1650 as an adjective meaning "providing nourishment." It's important to your health to get the proper nutrients, so the food pyramid was developed by nutritionists to show you the balance of foods you need each day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nutrient nutrients

Powerful laser microscopy revealed the mechanism: after a day or two of contact, the corals' tissues began fusing, creating a "nutrient highway" between the pair.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

"That gives us a much clearer picture of nutrient levels in ancient oceans than we had before."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

If oxygen loss continues, it could disrupt phosphorus recycling and reduce the amount of this essential nutrient available to marine organisms.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

The proposal targets a market currently dominated by Canada, the world’s largest producer of potash, a vital fertilizer component and an essential plant nutrient with no substitute in global food production.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

But for those who’ve lived as refugees longer than memory, learning to believe in the nutrient cycle requires something close to a religious conversion.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

To recoup some of their considerable investment, plants break down chlorophyll, then draw its chemical components and other nutrients through the stem and into the trunk and roots for later reuse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Even so, not all nutrients are recovered, and some of them fall along with the leaves to enrich the soil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Humus is the upper layer of soil rich in decomposing organic matter, where microorganisms play a major role in recycling nutrients.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

So, if meals are replaced with protein shakes, those nutrients are lost.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

It’s crammed full of molecules and vessels endlessly shuttling enzymes and sugars from one part of the cell to another, pumping water, nutrients, and oxygen in and out of the cell.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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Related Words

• fiber
• food
• mineral
• vitamin

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