nut

n. a dry fruit or seed with a hard shell that you can usually eat.

n. a hard-shelled seed or fruit containing an edible kernel.

“She added some chopped nuts to the top of the chocolate cake.”

“The recipe calls for toasted nuts to provide a textural contrast to the soft, creamy filling of the tart.”

n. a small piece of metal with a hole in the middle that screws onto a bolt.

n. a small metal block with a threaded hole, designed to be screwed onto a bolt to fasten parts together.

“He used a wrench to tighten the nut on the bicycle wheel.”

“The mechanic discovered that a rusted nut was preventing the entire assembly from being dismantled for repair.”

n. someone who is very interested in or excited about a specific subject.

n. an individual exhibiting intense enthusiasm or obsession regarding a particular activity or topic.

“My brother is a total car nut and spends every weekend at the track.”

“As a self-proclaimed history nut, she spent her entire vacation touring the ancient ruins of the Mediterranean.”

Informal

n. a person who behaves in a strange or crazy way.

n. a person perceived as eccentric, irrational, or mentally unstable.

“Some nut was shouting at the pigeons in the park this morning.”

“The neighbors thought he was a bit of a nut for building a giant telescope in his backyard.”

Informal

n. a slang word for testicles.

n. a slang term referring to the testicles.

“The player accidentally got hit in the nuts during the game.”

“The comedian's routine relied heavily on crude jokes involving various slang terms for the nuts.”

Slang · Vulgar

n. the small piece at the top of a guitar neck that holds the strings.

n. the ridge of hard material at the junction of the headstock and fretboard that supports the strings.

“The guitar strings were buzzing because the nut was worn down.”

“Luthiers often prefer bone over plastic when carving a new nut to improve the instrument's resonance and sustain.”

Technical

v. to hit someone using your head.

v. to strike a person intentionally with the head.

“The two men started fighting and one tried to nut the other.”

“The striker was sent off after he attempted to nut the defender during a heated argument on the pitch.”

British English · Slang