Adjacent Words

Nutmeg definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

NUT'MEG, n. [L. But it may be questionable whether the last syllable in English, meg, is not from L., mace, the bark that envelops the nut.] The fruit of a tree of the genus Myristica, growing in the isles of the East Indies and South Sea. The tree gorws to the gighth of thirty feet, producing numerous branches. The color of the bark of the trunk is a reddish brown; that of the young branches a bright green. The fruit is of the kind called drupe, that is, a pulpy pericarp without valves, containing a nut or kernel. The covering of this nut is the mace. The nutmeg is an aromatic, very grateful to the taste and smell, and much used in cookery.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: East Indian tree widely cultivated in the tropics for its aromatic seed; source of two spices: nutmeg and mace [syn: nutmeg, nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans]
2: hard aromatic seed of the nutmeg tree used as spice when grated or ground

Merriam Webster's

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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an evergreen E. Indian tree, Myristica fragrans, yielding a hard aromatic spheroidal seed. 2 the seed of this used as a spice and in medicine. Phrases and idioms: nutmeg-apple the fruit of this tree, yielding mace and nutmeg. Etymology: ME: partial transl. of OF nois mug(u)ede ult. f. L nux nut + LL muscus MUSK

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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 Molucca Islands, but cultivated elsewhere in the tropics. Note: This fruit is a nearly spherical drupe, of the size of a pear, of a yellowish color without and almost white within. This opens into two nearly equal longitudinal valves, inclosing the nut surrounded by its aril, which is mace The nutmeg is an aromatic, very grateful to the taste and smell, and much used in cookery. Other species of Myristica yield nutmegs of inferior quality. American, Calabash, or Jamaica, nutmeg, the fruit of a tropical shrub (Monodora Myristica). It is about the size of an orange, and contains many aromatic seeds imbedded in pulp. Brazilian nutmeg, the fruit of a lauraceous tree, Cryptocarya moschata. California nutmeg, tree of the Yew family (Torreya Californica), growing in the Western United States, and having a seed which resembles a nutmeg in appearance, but is strongly impregnated with turpentine. Clove nutmeg, the Ravensara aromatica, a laura ceous tree of Madagascar. The foliage is used as a spice, but the seed is acrid and caustic. Jamaica nutmeg. See American nutmeg (above). Nutmeg bird (Zo["o]l.), an Indian finch (Munia punctularia). Nutmeg butter, a solid oil extracted from the nutmeg by expression. Nutmeg flower (Bot.), a ranunculaceous herb (Nigella sativa) with small black aromatic seeds, which are used medicinally and for excluding moths from furs and clothing. Nutmeg liver (Med.), a name applied to the liver, when, as the result of heart or lung disease, it undergoes congestion and pigmentation about the central veins of its lobules, giving it an appearance resembling that of a nutmeg. Nutmeg melon (Bot.), a small variety of muskmelon of a rich flavor. Nutmeg pigeon (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of pigeons of the genus Myristicivora, native of the East Indies and Australia. The color is usually white, or cream-white, with black on the wings and tail. Nutmeg wood (Bot.), the wood of the Palmyra palm. Peruvian nutmeg, the aromatic seed of a South American tree (Laurelia sempervirens). Plume nutmeg (Bot.), a spicy tree of Australia (Atherosperma moschata).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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 Molucca Islands, but cultivated elsewhere in the tropics. Note: This fruit is a nearly spherical drupe, of the size of a pear, of a yellowish color without and almost white within. This opens into two nearly equal longitudinal valves, inclosing the nut surrounded by its aril, which is mace The nutmeg is an aromatic, very grateful to the taste and smell, and much used in cookery. Other species of Myristica yield nutmegs of inferior quality. American, Calabash, or Jamaica, nutmeg, the fruit of a tropical shrub (Monodora Myristica). It is about the size of an orange, and contains many aromatic seeds imbedded in pulp. Brazilian nutmeg, the fruit of a lauraceous tree, Cryptocarya moschata. California nutmeg, tree of the Yew family (Torreya Californica), growing in the Western United States, and having a seed which resembles a nutmeg in appearance, but is strongly impregnated with turpentine. Clove nutmeg, the Ravensara aromatica, a laura ceous tree of Madagascar. The foliage is used as a spice, but the seed is acrid and caustic. Jamaica nutmeg. See American nutmeg (above). Nutmeg bird (Zo["o]l.), an Indian finch (Munia punctularia). Nutmeg butter, a solid oil extracted from the nutmeg by expression. Nutmeg flower (Bot.), a ranunculaceous herb (Nigella sativa) with small black aromatic seeds, which are used medicinally and for excluding moths from furs and clothing. Nutmeg liver (Med.), a name applied to the liver, when, as the result of heart or lung disease, it undergoes congestion and pigmentation about the central veins of its lobules, giving it an appearance resembling that of a nutmeg. Nutmeg melon (Bot.), a small variety of muskmelon of a rich flavor. Nutmeg pigeon (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of pigeons of the genus Myristicivora, native of the East Indies and Australia. The color is usually white, or cream-white, with black on the wings and tail. Nutmeg wood (Bot.), the wood of the Palmyra palm. Peruvian nutmeg, the aromatic seed of a South American tree (Laurelia sempervirens). Plume nutmeg (Bot.), a spicy tree of Australia (Atherosperma moschata).

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Nutmeg is a spice made from the seed of a tree that grows in hot countries. Nutmeg is usually used to flavour sweet food.