nut

1 of 2

noun

ˈnət 

plural nuts

1

a(1)

: a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel

(2)

: the kernel of a nut

b

: a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit with a woody pericarp

2

a

: a hard problem or undertaking

b

: core, heart

3

: a perforated block usually of metal that has an internal screw thread and is used on a bolt or screw for tightening or holding something

4

: the ridge in a stringed instrument (such as a violin) over which the strings pass on the upper end of the fingerboard

5

: a small lump (as of butter)

6

a

: a foolish or eccentric person

With all her on-set antics (which I loved), it would be easy to discount Cloris [Leachman] as a bit of a nut.

—Nellie Andreeva

also, sometimes offensive : someone who is not mentally sound

b

: enthusiast

a movie nut

7

nuts ˈnəts  plural : nonsense

—often used interjectionally

8

slang : a person's head

9

usually vulgar : testis

10

: the amount of money that must be earned in order to break even

11

: en sense 1

nutlike

ˈnət-ˌlīk 

adjective

nut

2 of 2

verb

nutted; nutting

intransitive verb

: to gather or seek nuts

Synonyms

Noun

• eccentric
• character
• crank
• flake
• nutter [British slang]
• fruitcake
• wacko
• original
• crackpot
• weirdo
• loony
• nutcase
• kook
• loon
• piece of work
• crack

Examples of nut in a Sentence

Noun

The squirrel cracked the nut and ate the meat inside.

walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and other nuts

The squirrel sat and ate the nut.

Are you allergic to nuts?

a bowl of nuts and raisins

That guy is a real nut.

She's a real baseball nut.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Your choice of peanut butter or nut-free alternative. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

The bakery side makes banana nut bread, croissants, cookies, donuts, muffins and scones. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025

Don’t want nuts but still want the crunch? —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025

When combined with oatmeal, nuts contribute to a breakfast that supports cardiovascular health, digestive function, and blood sugar management. —Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English nute, note, from Old English hnutu; akin to Old High German nuz nut and perhaps to Latin nux nut

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nut

• a hard/tough nut (to crack)
• betel nut
• Brazil nut
• cashew nut
• cola nut
• ginger nut
• ivory nut
• kola nut
• lichee nut
• litchi nut
• lychee nut
• macadamia nut
• nut-brown
• nut case
• nut grass
• nut job
• pine nut
• self-locking nut
• shea nut
• wing nut

Rhymes for nut

• but
• butt
• cut
• glut
• gut
• hut
• jut
• mutt
• putt
• rut
• shut
• smut

Kids Definition

nut

noun

ˈnət

1

a

: a hard-shelled dry fruit (as a peanut in the shell) or seed (as a Brazil nut) with an inner kernel

also : this kernel

b

: a dry one-seeded fruit (as an acorn, hazelnut, or chestnut) that has a woody outer layer and does not break open when it is ripe

2

: a block of metal with a hole in it that is fastened to a bolt or screw by means of a screw thread within the hole

3

: the ridge on the upper end of the fingerboard of a stringed instrument over which the strings pass

4

a

: a foolish or odd person

b

: enthusiast

a movie nut

Etymology

Noun

Old English hnutu "nut"