nutmeg
noun
Did you know?
Nutmeg is native to the Moluccas, Indonesian islands in the Malay Archipelago of Southeast Asia. The word nutmeg, however, comes from Old Occitan, a Romance language spoken in southern France during the latter half of the Middle Ages. Old Occitan "noz muscada" combines "noz" ("nut"), from Latin nuc-, nux, with "muscada," a feminine form of muscat, meaning "musky." The history of "muscat" can in turn be traced back through Late Latin, Greek, and Middle Persian to a Sanskrit word meaning "mouse."
Example Sentences
Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 27 June 2022 Add a lime wheel, grate some nutmeg over the top and serve. Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2021 Its also great to grate fresh nutmeg, hard cheeses and fresh ginger. cleveland, 26 May 2022 Woody and mossy notes unfold to aromatic nutmeg, vetiver, and subtle hints of saffron. Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 May 2022 Count out 10 cloves, 10 cardamom pods, 2 large cinnamon sticks, and 1 nutmeg. Bon Appétit, 3 Mar. 2022 Garnish with lemon wheels, cinnamon sticks and grated nutmeg on top of the punch. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2021 Most blends include African nutmeg, castor seed, orima, jansa and beletete leaves. Jen Rose Smith, CNN, 5 Jan. 2022 Slowly add the flour and nutmeg and whisk until there are no lumps. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
Middle English notemigge, notemuge, ultimately from Old Occitan noz muscada, from noz nut (from Latin nuc-, nux) + muscada, feminine of muscat musky — more at muscat
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
nutmeg
noun
Medical Definition
nutmeg
noun
called also myristica