nut

[ nuht ]

/ nʌt /

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See synonyms for nut on Thesaurus.com

noun

a dry fruit consisting of an edible kernel or meat enclosed in a woody or leathery shell.

the kernel itself.

Botany. a hard, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, as the chestnut or the acorn.

any of various devices or ornaments resembling a nut.

a block, usually of metal and generally square or hexagonal, perforated with a threaded hole so that it can be screwed down on a bolt to hold together objects through which the bolt passes.

Slang. the head.

Slang.

a person who is very enthusiastic about something; buff; enthusiast; devotee: He's a real circus nut.
an extremely concerned or zealous person: My boss is a nut on double-checking everything.

Slang.

a foolish, silly, or eccentric person.
an insane person; psychotic.

Slang: Vulgar. a testis.

Informal.

the operating expenses, usually figured weekly, of a theatrical production or other commercial enterprise; a break-even point.
the total cost of producing a theatrical production or of forming and opening any new business venture.

Music. (in instruments of the violin family)

the ledge, as of ebony, at the upper end of the fingerboard, over which the strings pass.
the movable piece at the lower end of the bow, by means of which the hairs may be slackened or tightened.

Printing. en (def. 2).

verb (used without object), nut·ted, nut·ting.

to seek for or gather nuts: to go nutting in late autumn.

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Idioms about nut

from soup to nuts. soup (def. 7).

hard nut to crack,

a problem difficult to solve; a formidable undertaking.
a person difficult to know, understand, or convince.

Also tough nut to crack .

off one's nut, Slang.

Sometimes Offensive. foolish, silly, or insane.
confused; unreasonable.
mistaken or wrong: You're off your nut if you think such a plan can succeed.

Origin of nut

before 900; 1900–05 for def. 8b; Middle English nute,Old English hnutu; cognate with Dutch noot,German Nuss,Old Norse hnot; akin to Latin nux

OTHER WORDS FROM nut

nutlike, adjective

Other definitions for nut (2 of 3)

Nut

[ noot ]

/ nut /

noun Egyptian Religion.

the goddess of the sky, sometimes shown as a cow bearing Ra on her back and the stars on her underside.

Other definitions for nut (3 of 3)

N.U.T.

abbreviation British.

National Union of Teachers.

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

How to use nut in a sentence

In response, some Republicans will pander to the party’s nut cases, and others will try to finesse the questions they raise.
The Republican Party’s future: Being terrorized by its unhinged base|Paul Waldman|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
In a medium bowl, stir the nuts, sugar and salt until combined.
Dig into this fall-spice pudding pie nestled in a nut crust and topped with whipped cream|Erin Jeanne McDowell|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
This recipe cuts down the sweetness and adds nuts on top for some textural variation.
Mashed, roasted, crispy or creamy: Our best potato recipes for your holiday table|Kari Sonde|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
Then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, nuts, and grated apple to the melted butter.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food|Christina Bernstein|November 12, 2020|Outside Online

Serve them over yogurt or oatmeal the morning of Thanksgiving, or later in the day with creamy cheeses or spiced nuts.
Thanksgiving appetizer recipes and easy cocktails to start the feast off right|Daniela Galarza, Becky Krystal|November 11, 2020|Washington Post

British Dictionary definitions for nut (1 of 2)

nut

/ (nʌt) /

noun

a dry one-seeded indehiscent fruit that usually possesses a woody wall

(not in technical use) any similar fruit, such as the walnut, having a hard shell and an edible kernel

the edible kernel of such a fruit

slang

an eccentric person
a person who is mentally disturbed

a slang word for head (def. 1)

do one's nut British slang to be extremely angry; go into a rage

off one's nut slang mad, crazy, or foolish

a person or thing that presents difficulties (esp in the phrase a tough or hard nut to crack)

a small square or hexagonal block, usu. metal, with a threaded hole through the middle for screwing on the end of a bolt

mountaineering a variously shaped small metal block, usually a wedge or hexagonal prism (originally an ordinary engineer's nut) with a wire or rope loop attached, for jamming into a crack to provide securityAlso called: chock

Also called (US and Canadian): frog music

the ledge or ridge at the upper end of the fingerboard of a violin, cello, etc, over which the strings pass to the tuning pegs
the end of a violin bow that is held by the player

printing another word for en

a small usually gingery biscuit

British a small piece of coal

verb nuts, nutting or nutted

(intr) to gather nuts

(tr) slang to butt (someone) with the head

Derived forms of nut

nutlike, adjective

Word Origin for nut

Old English hnutu; related to Old Norse hnot, Old High German hnuz (German Nuss)

British Dictionary definitions for nut (2 of 2)

NUT

abbreviation for (in Britain)

National Union of Teachers

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

Scientific definitions for nut

nut

[ nŭt ]

A dry, indehiscent simple fruit consisting of one seed surrounded by a hard and thick pericarp (fruit wall). The seed does not adhere to the pericarp but is connected to it by the funiculus. A nut is similar to an achene but larger. Acorns, beechnuts, chestnuts, and hazelnuts are true nuts. Informally, other edible seeds or dry fruits enclosed in a hard or leathery shell are also called nuts, though they are not true nuts. For instance, an almond kernel is actually the seed of a drupe. Its familiar whitish shell is an endocarp found within the greenish fruit of the almond tree. Peanuts are actually individual seeds from a seed pod called a legume.

Other Idioms and Phrases with nut

nut

In addition to the idioms beginning with nuts

nuts about, be
nuts and bolts, the

also see:

drive someone crazy (nuts)
from soup to nuts
hard nut to crack