nugget

noun

nug·​get ˈnə-gət 

1

: a solid lump

especially : a native lump of precious metal

2

: tidbit sense 2

nuggets of wisdom

3

: a small usually rounded piece of food

chicken nuggets

Synonyms of nugget

• mouthful
• bite
• taste
• nibble

Examples of nugget in a Sentence

nuggets of beef in the chow mein

a seemingly inconsequential nugget of information that proved to be the key to cracking the case

Recent Examples on the Web

Ice Makers Lucyk adds that many people crave dedicated ice makers in the kitchen, which comes as no surpirse given the popularity of countertop nugget ice machines in recent years. —Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 2 Jan. 2026

The Sacramento restaurant is designed with families in mind and has a children’s menu that includes simple items such as quesadillas, chicken nuggets and fries. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado january 2, Sacbee.com, 2 Jan. 2026

Gingras successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver, clearing the obstructing chicken nugget in one attempt. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026

Caviar chicken nuggets dominated this year, specifically from trendy restaurants like New York City hot spot Coqodaq. —Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nugget

noun

nug·​get ˈnəg-ət 

: a solid lump especially of precious metal