Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Nutmeg
Nut′meg
,Noun.
[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. ☞ 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 nutmeg
, Calabash nutmeg
, 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
, a 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 lauraceous 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
(Zool.)
, 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
(Zool.)
, 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 1828 Edition
Nutmeg
NUT'MEG
,Noun.
Definition 2024
nutmeg
nutmeg
English
A whole nutmeg
A 19th-century watercolour of a nutmeg plant
Noun
nutmeg (plural nutmegs)
- An evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, cultivated in the East Indies for its spicy seeds.
- The aromatic seed of this tree, used as a spice.
- A grey-brown colour.
- (soccer) The playing of the ball between the legs of an opponent.
Derived terms
Derived terms
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Translations
tree
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seed
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soccer/football sense
Verb
nutmeg (third-person singular simple present nutmegs, present participle nutmegging, simple past and past participle nutmegged)
- (transitive) To flavour with nutmeg.
- She decided the eggnog was lacking in flavor, so she decided to nutmeg it heavily.
- (soccer, transitive) To play the ball between the legs of (an opponent).
- 2015 February 24, Daniel Taylor, “Luis Suárez strikes twice as Barcelona teach Manchester City a lesson”, in The Guardian (London):
- Barcelona did not just out play them, they emphatically put them in their place during that opening 45 minutes when Luis Suárez scored twice, Dani Alves struck the crossbar, Lionel Messi nutmegged David Silva and Manuel Pellegrini’s team stumbled to the interval like a side in need of smelling salts rather than half-time oranges.
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