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nutshell

American  
[nuht-shel] / ˈnʌtˌʃɛl /

noun

  1. the shell of a nut.

idioms

  1. in a nutshell, in very brief form; in a few words.

    Just tell me the story in a nutshell.
nutshell British  
/ ˈnʌtˌʃɛl /

noun

  1. the shell around the kernel of a nut

  2. in essence; briefly

"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
nutshell More Idioms  

  1. see in a nutshell.

Etymology

Origin of nutshell

1175–1225; Middle English nutescell; nut, shell

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.

And, while you’re there, you’ll see the story of our golden age in a nutshell.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

“In a nutshell, Claude is a major player in the AI Revolution and US Tech sector and this ‘supply chain designation risk’ needs to be resolved quickly for the tech sector and ongoing enterprise deployments/pilots.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Dimon, in a nutshell, told him to stop lying on TV, according to people familiar with the conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

“In a nutshell we believe Microsoft is set to have a massive 2026 and the stock is a compelling buy at these levels,” the Wedbush team wrote.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

In a nutshell, both of my parents believed that sports were the best way to keep all of us kids disciplined and continuing to learn outside of the classroom.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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.