Library / English Dictionary

NUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: nutted    , nutting   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small (usually square or hexagonal) metal block with internal screw thread to be fitted onto a bolt

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("nut" is a kind of...):

block (a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nut"):

hex nut (a nut with a hexagonal shape)

locknut; safety nut (supplementary nut that is screwed down on a primary nut to prevent it from loosening)

square nut (nut with a square shape)

packing nut; stuffing nut (a nut used to tighten a stuffing box)

butterfly nut; thumbnut; wing-nut; wing nut; wing screw (a threaded nut with winglike projections for thumb and forefinger leverage in turning)

Holonyms ("nut" is a part of...):

nut and bolt (a fastener made by screwing a nut onto a threaded bolt)

Sense 2

Meaning:

One of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens

Example:

she kicked him in the balls and got away

Synonyms:

ball; ballock; bollock; egg; nut; orchis; testicle; testis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("nut" is a kind of...):

gonad; sex gland (a gland in which gametes (sex cells) are produced)

male reproductive gland (the reproductive organs of a man)

Meronyms (parts of "nut"):

spermatic cord (a structure resembling a cord that suspends the testis within the scrotum and contains the vas deferens and other vessels and nerves)

ductus deferens; vas deferens (a duct that carries spermatozoa from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct)

rete testis (network of tubules carrying sperm from the seminiferous tubules to the vasa efferentia)

epididymis (a convoluted tubule in each testis; carries sperm to vas deferens)

seminiferous tubule (any of the numerous long convoluted tubules in the testis which are the sites where spermatozoa mature)

testicular vein; vena testicularis (a vein from the testicles)

arteria testicularis; internal spermatic artery; testicular artery (a branch of the aorta supplying the testicles)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nut"):

undescended testicle; undescended testis (a testis that fails to move into the scrotum as the male fetus develops)

cobblers (a man's testicles (from Cockney rhyming slang: cobbler's awl rhymes with ball))

Holonyms ("nut" is a part of...):

family jewels; male genital organ; male genitalia; male genitals (external male sex organs)

male reproductive system (the reproductive system of males)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Egyptian goddess of the sky

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

Egyptian deity (a deity worshipped by the ancient Egyptians)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Someone who is so ardently devoted to something that it resembles an addiction

Example:

a news junkie

Synonyms:

addict; freak; junkie; junky; nut

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("nut" is a kind of...):

enthusiast; partisan; partizan (an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nut"):

gym rat (someone who spends all leisure time playing sports or working out in a gymnasium or health spa)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A whimsically eccentric person

Synonyms:

crackpot; crank; fruitcake; nut; nut case; screwball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("nut" is a kind of...):

eccentric; eccentric person; flake; geek; oddball (a person with an unusual or odd personality)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Usually large hard-shelled seed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("nut" is a kind of...):

seed (a small hard fruit)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nut"):

edible nut (a hard-shelled seed consisting of an edible kernel or meat enclosed in a woody or leathery shell)

cedar nut; cembra nut (the seed of the Swiss pine)

cola nut; kola nut (bitter brown seed containing caffein; source of cola extract)

mast (nuts of forest trees (as beechnuts and acorns) accumulated on the ground)

palm kernel; palm nut (seed of any oil palm)

nutlet (a small nut)

Derivation:

nut (gather nuts)

nutty (having the flavor of nuts)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Half the width of an em

Synonyms:

en; nut

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("nut" is a kind of...):

linear measure; linear unit (a unit of measurement of length)

Holonyms ("nut" is a part of...):

em; pica; pica em (a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gather nuts

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "nut" is one way to...):

collect; garner; gather; pull together (assemble or get together)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

In the summer they like to go out and nut

Derivation:

nut (usually large hard-shelled seed)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I found that the berries were spoiled by this operation, and the nuts and roots much improved.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Why do I secretly give Miss Shepherd twelve Brazil nuts for a present, I wonder?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The way nuts are processed also impacts their ME value.

(Going Nuts Over Calories, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

It was a nut to crack for many, what these two could see in each other, or what subject they could find in common.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“Pig-nuts!” repeated Merry, in a scream.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

So far, no research on supplements has shown us anything better than healthy servings of less processed plant foods including vegetables, fruits and nuts.

(Most Popular Supplements Provide No Health Benefit, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A screw designed to thread into a nut to form a fastener.

(Bolt Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

A harmful substance made by certain types of mold (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus) that is often found on poorly stored grains and nuts.

(Aflatoxin, NCI Dictionary)

Not eating enough nuts and seeds (8.5%), seafood omega-3 fats (7.8%), vegetables (7.6%), fruits (7.5%), whole grains (5.9%), or polyunsaturated fats (2.3%) also increased risk of death compared with people who had an optimal intake of these foods/nutrients.

(How dietary factors influence disease risk, NIH)

Nut allergy sufferers are at greater risk of a dangerous reaction if they have not slept well or have taken strenuous exercise.

(Poor Sleep, Lack of Exercise Increase Risk of Nut Allergy, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)