English Explanatory Dictionary

nutshell

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The shell that surrounds the kernel of a nut.
  2. A short book summarizing an area of law.
  3. A small boat; a boat considered small in comparison to the seas.
verb
  1. To summarize (from the term in a nutshell).

Pronunciation

/ˈnʌt.ʃɛl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vininn126-nutshell.wav

Word forms

nutshell nutshells nutshelling nutshelled

Etymology

From Middle English notschelle, from Old English hnutsċiell, from Proto-West Germanic *hnutskallju, equivalent to nut + shell. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Nuteskele, Nuteskil (“nutshell”), Dutch notenschaal (“nutshell”), German Nussschale (“nutshell”).

Derived words

cashew nutshell liquid in a nutshell
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