nutmeg
pronunciation
How to pronounce nutmeg in British English:
UK [ˈnʌtmeg]
How to pronounce nutmeg in American English:
US [ˈnʌtˌmɛɡ]
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- Noun:
- East Indian tree widely cultivated in the tropics for its aromatic seed; source of two spices: nutmeg and mace
- hard aromatic seed of the nutmeg tree used as spice when grated or ground
Word Origin
- nutmeg
- nutmeg: [13] Etymologically, the nutmeg is the ‘musk-flavoured nut’. The word originated as a partial anglicization of Anglo-Norman *nois mugue, which came via Old French nois muguede from Vulgar Latin *nuce muscāta, literally ‘musky nut’. This ‘musky’ connection, now effectively concealed in English, is still apparent in, for example, German muskatnuss, Swedish muskotnöt, and French noix muscade.=> musk, nut
- nutmeg (n.)
- "hard aromatic seed of the East Indies," c. 1300, from Old North French or Anglo-French *noiz mugue, from Old French nois muguete, unexplained alteration of nois muscade "nut smelling like musk," from nois "nut" (from Latin nux) + Latin muscada, fem. of muscat "musky" (see muscat). Probably influenced in English by Medieval Latin nux maga (compare unaltered Dutch muskaatnoot, German muscatnuß, Swedish muskotnöt). American English colloquial wooden nutmeg "anything false or fraudulent" is from 1830. Connecticut is called the Nutmeg State "in allusion to the story that wooden nutmegs are there manufactured for exportation." [John Russell Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 1859]
Example
- 1. I handed him the nutmeg and the grater .
- 2. How to eat : mix with a little butter , cinnamon and nutmeg .
- 3. Then he strewed it with nutmeg , which made it look interestingly gory .
- 4. Like cloves , nutmeg contains eugenol , a compound that may benefit the heart .
- 5. And roman trade routes to southern asia meant that spices such as pepper , nutmeg and ginger were introduced to native palates for the first time .