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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.

“In a nutshell, we think risks in private credit are significant,” the analysts wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 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

"My life is basically Brentford, in a nutshell," she said.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

This, in a holy nutshell, is Hinduism, and I have been a Hindu all my life.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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.