walnut
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.an edible nut with a hard, wrinkled shell and a brain-like shape inside.
n.the edible seed of any tree of the genus Juglans, typically referring to the common English or black walnut.
Simple“She added chopped walnuts to the salad for a bit of crunch.”
In context“The recipe calls for toasted walnuts to enhance the earthy flavour of the roasted beetroot and goat cheese salad.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the dark, strong wood from a walnut tree, often used for furniture.
n.the hard, dark-coloured timber of the walnut tree, valued for its grain and durability in fine woodworking.
Simple“The old desk was made of solid walnut and felt very heavy.”
In context“The artisan selected a piece of seasoned walnut for the tabletop, highlighting the natural swirls of the grain in the final polish.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a dark brown colour like the wood of a walnut tree.
n.a rich, dark brown hue resembling the natural colour of walnut timber.
Simple“The leather seats were a deep walnut that matched the car's interior.”
In context“The designer recommended painting the study in a warm walnut to create a more studious and traditional atmosphere.”
Synonymsdark brownchestnut - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
From Middle English walnote, walnutte, walnotte, from Old English wealhhnutu (“walnut”, literally “foreign nut”), from Proto-Germanic walhaz (“foreigner”) + hnuts (“nut”). Cognate with Dutch walnoot, German Walnuss, Swedish valnöt, Icelandic valhneta. Compare more recent term Welsh onion, which also uses Welsh to mean “foreign”.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.