nut: [OE] Nut is a member of a restricted family of Indo-European ‘nut’-words, present only in the Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages, that were derived ultimately from the Indo-European base *knu-, denoting ‘lump’. Latin nux (source of French noix, Italian noce, and Spanish nuez) came from an extended base *knuk-. Its derivative nucleus ‘nut, kernel’ has given English nucleus [18] and nuclear [19], and Vulgar Latin *nucātum is the source of English nougat [19].
The Germanic branch of the family, on the other hand, comes from an extended base *knut-, which has produced German nuss, Dutch noot, Swedish nöt, Danish nød, and English nut. The adjectival use of the plural, nuts, for ‘crazy’ dates back to the mid-19th century. It came from the metaphorical application of nut to ‘head’ – hence off one’s nut ‘deranged’, and in due course nuts. => nougat, nuclear, nucleus
nut (n.)
"hard seed," Old English hnutu, from Proto-Germanic *hnut- (cognates: Old Norse hnot, Dutch noot, Old High German hnuz, German Nuss "nut"), from PIE *kneu- "nut" (cognates: Latin nux; see nucleus). Sense of "testicle" is attested from 1915. Nut-brown is from c. 1300 of animals; c. 1500 of complexions of women.
Meaning "crazy person, crank" is attested from 1903 (British form nutter first attested 1958; nut-case is from 1959); see nuts. American English slang sense of "amount of money required for something" is first recorded 1912. The nut that goes onto a bolt is first recorded 1610s (used of other small mechanical pieces since early 15c.). Nuts and bolts "fundamentals" is from 1960.
nut 双语例句
1. The Daily Express describes Dr Carey as a pretty tough nut.
《每日快报》把凯里医生说成是特别难对付的家伙。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Getting out there is in many ways the hardest nut to crack.