I. ˈnət, usu -əd.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English nute, note, from Old English hnutu; akin to Old High German nuz, hnuz nut, Old Norse hnot, Middle Irish cnū, Latin nuc-, nux
1.
a.
(1) : a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed having a more or less distinct separable rind or shell and interior kernel or meat — used to include various forms (as peanuts and Brazil nuts) not botanically true nuts
(2) : the kernel of a nut
b. : a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit (as an acorn, hazelnut, or chestnut) with a woody pericarp developing from an inferior syncarpous ovary — see fruit illustration
2. : something resembling a nut in the difficulty it represents: as
a. : a problem to be solved — often used with to crack
communications were a tough nut — John Dos Passos
many hard nuts to crack in developing satisfactory processes — J.P.Baxter b. 1893
b. : an undertaking to be shouldered — usually used with to crack
climbed the lower slopes but the summit proved too hard a nut to crack
c. : a person to be conciliated
tried to convince him but he was a tough old nut
3. : a perforated block that is usually a small piece of metal of square or hexagonal section, that has an internal screw thread, and that is used on a bolt or screw for tightening or holding something or for transmitting motion
4. : a projection on the shank of an anchor to secure the stock in place
5.
a. : the ridge in a stringed musical instrument over which the strings pass on the upper end of the fingerboard nearest the head and pegbox
b. : the movable piece at the lower end of a bow (as a violin bow) by which the hairs may be tightened
6. nuts plural
a. slang : a source of joy and pleasure : delight — usually used with the
they thought this one was the nuts when they built it — Calder Willingham
it's the nuts — you can splash around all you want to — Better Homes & Gardens
b. : nonsense — often used interjectionally to express disapproval or annoyance; sometimes considered vulgar
nuts to you and your friends
c. : testes — usually considered vulgar
7. slang : a person's head
you get this in your nut — Richard Llewellyn
should think there was something wrong in his nut — H.J.Laski
8.
a. slang Australia : larrikin
b.
(1) : one whose thinking or conduct is eccentric
his contemporaries sometimes considered him just a prodigiously talented nut — Time
(2) : one who is or seems to be mentally unbalanced
a nut got into the … reception and started screaming obscenities — Toni Howard
(3) : one who is overenthusiastic about a particular matter (as a hobby)
some golf nut who had ranged the world collecting out-of-the-way golf courses — E.J.Kahn
c. slang Britain : a smartly or sprucely dressed person
9. : a rounded cake or biscuit (as a doughnut or spice nut)
10. : the complete expense involved — usually used of the costs of a stage or television production
11. : en
indent one nut
•
- for nuts
- off one's nut
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English nute, note, from Old English hnut-, from hnutu nut, noun
1. : of, relating to, or characteristic of a nut : having nuts
my little nut tree
2. : serving as a receptacle for nuts
nut dish
III. intransitive verb
( nutted ; nutted ; nutting ; nuts )
Etymology: nut (I)
: to gather or seek nuts — usually used in the form nutting
IV. noun
1. : a large sum of money
2. slang : a bribe given to a policeman