Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: hnutu

nut

1 noun
     
nut
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nut1 S3 [countable]
1

food

DFHBP a dry brown fruit inside a hard shell, that grows on a tree:
a pine nut
roasted nuts
We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them).
nut
2

tool

TD a small piece of metal with a hole through the middle which is screwed onto a bolt to fasten things together:
Use a wrench to loosen the nut.
3

crazy person

informal someone who is crazy or behaves strangely:
My dad is such a nut.
What are you, some kind of nut?
4

golf/opera etc nut

informal someone who is very interested in golf etc [↪ fanatic]:
You don't have to be a sports nut to enjoy skiing.
5

sex organ

nuts

[plural] informal a man's testicles
6

the nuts and bolts of something

informal the practical details of a subject or job:
the nuts and bolts of government
7

tough/hard nut

informal someone who is difficult to deal with:
He may have softened a bit in his old age but he's still a tough nut.
8

a hard/tough nut to crack

a difficult problem or situation:
Celtic have lost only once this season and will be a tough nut to crack.
9

be off your nut

British English spoken informal to be crazy:
You must be off your nut!
10

do your nut

British English spoken to become very angry or worried:
I didn't get home till three - my mum did her nut!
11

head

British English spoken old-fashioned your head or brain
somebody's nut
Oh come on, use your nut!
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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