noun
the hard seed of some plants, often eaten as food
I eat nuts as a snack.
This salad has walnuts and almonds.
Common phrases & grammar
mixed nuts · roasted nuts · nut allergy · crack a nut
American English
How to pronounce nutting
nounB1Common word
NUHdihng
/ˈnə.ɾɪŋ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Related entry: nut
the hard seed of some plants, often eaten as food
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
noun
a small metal piece with a hole and a spiral inside; it screws onto a bolt to hold things together
The nut is loose.
Tighten the nut with a wrench.
Common phrases & grammar
tighten a nut · loosen a nut · a nut and bolt
a nut + on + a bolt
tighten + the nut + with + a wrench
nouninformalless common
a person who is very interested in a particular subject or activity
My brother is a car nut.
She's a real history nut.
Common phrases & grammar
health nut · fitness nut · sports nut
a + subject + nut
nouninformalless common
a person who behaves in a strange or crazy way
He's a nice guy, but he's a bit of a nut.
Everyone thinks that neighbor is a total nut.
Good to know
This informal word can sound rude when you use it about a person.
Common phrases & grammar
a real nut · a total nut
be + a nut
a real + nut
Useful expressions
in a very short and simple form
In a nutshell, we need more time.
the basic practical details of something
The course covers the nuts and bolts of investing.
to become very excited or angry
The crowd went nuts when she scored.