nut
1 of 2noun
ˈnət 
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, eccentric, or crazy person
b
: enthusiast
a movie nut
7
nuts ˈnəts plural : nonsense —often used interjectionally
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 2verb
nutted; nutting
intransitive verb
: to gather or seek nuts
Synonyms
Noun
- character
- codger
- crack
- crackbrain
- crackpot
- crank
- eccentric
- flake
- fruitcake
- head case
- kook
- nutcase
- nutter [British slang]
- oddball
- oddity
- original
- quiz
- screwball
- weirdo
- zany
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Garrett Snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, 18 July 2017 Meanwhile, people are on the dance floor going nuts. Ron Hart, Esquire, 6 July 2017 A maker of nutrition and protein bars sold at Publix, CVS, Walgreens and other stores and online outlets nationwide recalled three types of bars after hearing about nut allergy reactions. David J. Neal, miamiherald, 6 July 2017 People with peanut or certain tree nut allergies should be aware of a new CLIF bar recall through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lucy Berry, AL.com, 6 July 2017 Though banana is a popular base for vegan ice cream, so are nut butters, rice, soy and even hemp milk. Leanne Italie, The Seattle Times, 3 July 2017 A variety of creamy bases made of fruit, nut butters, rice, soy and even hemp have elevated vegan ice cream among vegans, vegetarians and health-conscious meat-eaters alike. Washington Post, 3 July 2017 Vinegar Hill House is super flexible and Chef Michael Poiarkoff’s roast chicken is my favorite in the whole city and my husband loves the spinach and ricotta manicotti with pork ragu and pine nuts. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 29 June 2017 The specific instructions include eating half an avocado or a tablespoon of a nut butter every day, and to eat breakfast within an hour of waking. Michelle Konstantinovsky, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 June 2017 See More
Noun
Roasted tomatoes and halved gooseberries nestle in a pool of kefir and roasted kale oil; avocado wedges rolled in roasted seeds and nuts are separated by sorrel leaves; pea tips and tendrils garnish a stack of fried cheese dumplings. Garrett Snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, 18 July 2017 Meanwhile, people are on the dance floor going nuts. Ron Hart, Esquire, 6 July 2017 A maker of nutrition and protein bars sold at Publix, CVS, Walgreens and other stores and online outlets nationwide recalled three types of bars after hearing about nut allergy reactions. David J. Neal, miamiherald, 6 July 2017 People with peanut or certain tree nut allergies should be aware of a new CLIF bar recall through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lucy Berry, AL.com, 6 July 2017 Though banana is a popular base for vegan ice cream, so are nut butters, rice, soy and even hemp milk. Leanne Italie, The Seattle Times, 3 July 2017 A variety of creamy bases made of fruit, nut butters, rice, soy and even hemp have elevated vegan ice cream among vegans, vegetarians and health-conscious meat-eaters alike. Washington Post, 3 July 2017 Vinegar Hill House is super flexible and Chef Michael Poiarkoff’s roast chicken is my favorite in the whole city and my husband loves the spinach and ricotta manicotti with pork ragu and pine nuts. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 29 June 2017 The specific instructions include eating half an avocado or a tablespoon of a nut butter every day, and to eat breakfast within an hour of waking. Michelle Konstantinovsky, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 June 2017 See More 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
Kids Definition
nut
noun
ˈnət
1
: a dry fruit or seed with a firm inner kernel and a hard shell
2
: the often edible kernel of a nut
3
: a small piece of metal with a hole through it that can be screwed onto a bolt for tightening or holding something
4
: a foolish or crazy person
5
: a person who is very interested in or enthusiastic about something
a sports nut
nut
noun
1
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits a show devoted to those lovable nuts who collect the weirdest things just for fun Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- eccentric
- character
- flake
- crank
- nutter
- kook
- weirdo
- fruitcake
- crackpot
- crack
- nutcase
- original
- oddball
- screwball
- freak
- codger
- crackbrain
- odd duck
- zany
- maverick
- bohemian
- rarity
- quiz
- oddity
- head case
- piece of work
- coot
- geezer
- quixote
- nonconformist
- curio
- fantast
- fantastico
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sheep
- follower
- conformer
- conformist
2
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment anyone who goes out in this weather is a nut Synonyms & Similar Words
- lunatic
- fool
- goose
- idiot
- moron
- cuckoo
- nutcase
- monkey
- turkey
- jackass
- booby
- ninny
- loser
- dingbat
- simpleton
- nit
- simp
- dipstick
- berk
- doofus
- charlie
- mooncalf
- nincompoop
- nitwit
- dummy
- git
- donkey
- featherhead
- ding-a-ling
- yo-yo
- ding-dong
- charley
- ninnyhammer
- madman
- daredevil
- pinhead
- half-wit
- knucklehead
- ignoramus
- dunce
- butt
- crank
- dolt
- imbecile
- airhead
- blockhead
- dork
- character
- goon
- kook
- dope
- madwoman
- stock
- weirdo
- crackpot
- numskull
- dumbbell
- schnook
- chump
- numbskull
- scatterbrain
- dodo
- oddball
- screwball
- schlump
- dupe
- codger
- fathead
- know-nothing
- birdbrain
- gander
- mockery
- schlub
- laughingstock
- schlemiel
- featherbrain
- crackbrain
- shlub
- shlemiel
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- brain
- genius
- sage
- thinker
3
as in sucker
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something a baseball nut who plans her vacation to coincide with spring training every year Synonyms & Similar Words
- sucker
- lover
- fan
- enthusiast
- fanatic
- maniac
- addict
- freak
- fiend
- junkie
- buff
- devotee
- aficionado
- hound
- junky
- fool
- collector
- supporter
- bug
- maven
- habitue
- admirer
- afficionado
- proponent
- head
- fancier
- expert
- friend
- groupie
- connoisseur
- habitué
- dilettante
- mavin
- advocate
- cultist
- zealot
- adherent
- authority
- exponent
- amateur
- follower
- booster
- champion
- faddist
- partisan
- promoter
- backer
- evangelist
- votary
- patron
- disciple
- apostle
- rooter
- convert
- hanger-on
- partizan
- well-wisher
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- detractor
- critic
- nonfan
- carper
- belittler
- nonadmirer
4
as in psychopath
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind the man walking down the street talking to himself looked like a nut until we realized he was talking into his cell phone Synonyms & Similar Words
- lunatic
- psychopath
- maniac
- fool
- psycho
- nutter
- wacko
- loony
- fruitcake
- bug
- crazy
- nutcase
- loon
- schizo
- whacko
- crack
- sicko
- psychotic
- crackbrain
- madman
- head case
- character
- flake
- sickie
- paranoid
- kook
- abnormal
- obsessive
- weirdo
- crank
- neurotic
- madwoman
- crackpot
- monomaniac
- patient
- sociopath
- eccentric
- schizophrenic
- deviant
- schizoid
- psychoneurotic
- oddball
- screwball
- original
- case
- codger
- fantastic
- schizophrene
- zany
- mythomaniac
- tike
- manic-depressive
- obsessive-compulsive
- tyke
- quiz
- oddity
5
as in problem
something that requires thought and skill for resolution the question of how to increase functionality without decreasing efficiency may prove to be a tough nut to crack Synonyms & Similar Words
- problem
- challenge
- matter
- issue
- case
- trouble
- question
- jam
- pickle
- knot
- hot water
- corner
- hole
- predicament
- fix
- crux
- spot
- toughie
- puzzle
- hitch
- dilemma
- poser
- sticky wicket
- quandary
- toughy
- quagmire
- enigma
- mystery
- snag
- riddle
- pitfall
- conundrum
- stumper
- glitch
- mire
- catch
- Gordian knot
- catch-22
- puzzlement
- brainteaser
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- solution
- silver bullet
- answer
- magic bullet
- panacea
- cure-all
6
as in head
slang the upper or front part of the body that contains the brain, the major sense organs, and the mouth he didn't appreciate his friend's jibe about watching his big nut when getting into the car Synonyms & Similar Words
- head
- bean
- skull
- nob
- dome
- noodle
- pate
- noggin
- mazard
- block
- poll
- noddle
- mazzard
- crown
- cranium
- scalp
- occiput
7
as in nonsense
nuts plural language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense responding to your opponent's every argument with "Nuts!" is not exactly finely reasoned refutation Synonyms & Similar Words
- nonsense
- garbage
- fudge
- stupidity
- bull
- silliness
- blah
- rot
- baloney
- bunk
- beans
- jazz
- bilge
- crock
- humbuggery
- fiddle
- balderdash
- blither
- claptrap
- twaddle
- boloney
- flapdoodle
- applesauce
- bunkum
- bosh
- guff
- absurdity
- malarkey
- blatherskite
- hokum
- hogwash
- malarky
- hooey
- drool
- poppycock
- rubbish
- trash
- tommyrot
- humbug
- trumpery
- blarney
- tosh
- crapola
- craziness
- blather
- folderol
- buncombe
- foolishness
- falderal
- punk
- fiddlesticks
- drivel
- piffle
- hoodoo
- nerts
- codswallop
- insanity
- folly
- horsefeathers
- taradiddle
- fiddle-faddle
- muck
- moonshine
- flannel
- tarradiddle
- blah-blah
- absurdness
- madness
- idiocy
- hokeypokey
- slush
- gas
- foolery
- greek
- lunacy
- senselessness
- tomfoolery
- inanity
- kookiness
- inaneness
- hot air
- monkey business
- imbecility
- asininity
- shenanigan(s)
- witlessness
- rigmarole
- monkeyshine(s)
- fatuity
- hoity-toity
- rigamarole
- hocus-pocus
- double-talk
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rationality
- horse sense
- sensibleness
- reasonableness
- sense
- reasonability
- wisdom
- judgment
- judgement
- levelheadedness
- common sense
- discernment
- hypercoagulabilities
- hypercoagulability
- hypercoagulable
- hypercompetitive
- hypercompetitiveness
- hypercomplex
- hyperconcentrated
- hyperconcentration
- hyperconcentrations
- hyperconjugation
- hyperconscious
- hyperconsciousness
- hyperconsciousnesses
- hypercoracoid
- hypercorrect
- hypercorrection
- hypercorrections
- hypercorrectly
- hypercorrectness
- hypercorrectnesses
- hypercritic
- hypercritical
- hypercritically
- hypercriticise
- hypercriticised