nutmeg

nutmeg
noun Etymology: 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 Date: 15th century 1. an aromatic seed produced by an evergreen tree (Myristica fragrans of the family Myristicaceae, the nutmeg family) native to the Moluccas; also the ground seed used as a spice — compare mace 2 2. a tree yielding nutmeg

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Nutmeg — Nut meg, n. [OE. notemuge; note nut + OF. muge musk, of the same origin as E. musk; cf. OF. noix muguette nutmeg, F. noix muscade. See {Nut}, and {Musk}.] (Bot.) The kernel of the fruit of the nutmeg tree ({Myristica fragrans}), a native of the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nutmeg — (n.) hard aromatic seed of the East Indies, c.1300, from O.N.Fr. or Anglo Fr. *noiz mugue, from O.Fr. nois muguete, unexplained alteration of nois muscade nut smelling like musk, from nois nut (from L. nux) + L. muscada, fem. of muscat musky (see …   Etymology dictionary

  • nutmeg — [nut′meg΄] n. [ME notemygge, partial transl. of OFr nois muguete < Prov noiz muscade, lit., musky nut < L nux, NUT + LL muscus, MUSK] 1. the hard, aromatic seed of an East Indian tree (Myristica fragrans) of the nutmeg family: it is grated… …   English World dictionary

  • nutmeg — ► NOUN ▪ a spice made from the seed of a tropical tree native to the Moluccas. ORIGIN partial translation of Old French nois muguede musky nut …   English terms dictionary

  • Nutmeg — For other uses, see Nutmeg (disambiguation). Nutmeg Myristica fragrans Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • nutmeg — nutmegged, adj. /nut meg/, n. 1. the hard, aromatic seed of the fruit of an East Indian tree, Myristica fragrans, used in grated form as a spice. 2. the similar product of certain other trees of the same genus or other genera. 3. a tree bearing… …   Universalium

  • nutmeg — 1. noun /ˈnʌtmɛɡ/ a) an evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, cultivated in the East Indies for its spicy seeds b) the aromatic seed of this tree, used as a spice 2. verb …   Wiktionary

  • nutmeg — [[t]nʌ̱tmeg[/t]] N UNCOUNT Nutmeg is a spice made from the seed of a tree that grows in hot countries. Nutmeg is usually used to flavour sweet food …   English dictionary

  • nutmeg — UK [ˈnʌtmeɡ] / US [ˈnʌtˌmeɡ] noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms nutmeg : singular nutmeg plural nutmegs a brown powder used as a spice to give flavour to food. It comes from the hard seed of a tropical tree …   English dictionary

  • nutmeg — nut•meg [[t]ˈnʌt mɛg[/t]] n. 1) pln the hard, aromatic seed of an East Indian tree, Myristica fragrans, of the nutmeg family, used in grated form as a spice 2) pln a similar seed of certain related trees 3) pln a tree bearing the nutmeg seed •… …   From formal English to slang

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