nutmeg

noun

nut·​meg ˈnət-ˌmeg 

-ˌmāg

1

: an aromatic seed produced by an evergreen tree (Myristica fragrans of the family Myristicaceae, the nutmeg family) native to the Moluccas

also : the ground seed used as a spice compare mace sense 2

2

: a tree yielding nutmeg

Did you know?

Nutmeg is native to the Moluccas, Indonesian islands in the Malay Archipelago of Southeast Asia. The word nutmeg, however, comes from Old Occitan, a Romance language spoken in southern France during the latter half of the Middle Ages. Old Occitan "noz muscada" combines "noz" ("nut"), from Latin nuc-, nux, with "muscada," a feminine form of muscat, meaning "musky." The history of "muscat" can in turn be traced back through Late Latin, Greek, and Middle Persian to a Sanskrit word meaning "mouse."

Examples of nutmeg in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bruichladdich says the whisky opens with notes of honeyed oats, buttery shortbread, hazelnuts, and nutmeg, then moves into orange zest, pear, honeysuckle, crème brûlée richness, and a subtle salty coastal note on the palate. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

But nutmeg is a really big ingredient there. —AFAR Media, 30 May 2026

Extremely smooth on the palate, its flavors of blackberry, dark plum, cinnamon, and nutmeg are set into a sheath of plush tannins that gently drop off into a slightly drying finish. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 28 May 2026

The outside of a nutmeg is somewhat yellow and looks similar to a walnut. —Ava Berger, NPR, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English notemigge, notemuge, ultimately from Old Occitan noz muscada, from noz nut (from Latin nuc-, nux) + muscada, feminine of muscat musky — more at muscat

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nutmeg

• blackleg
• bootleg
• foreleg
• mpeg
• prepreg
• beg
• clegg
• egg
• keg
• leg
• legg
• meg

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Kids Definition

nutmeg

noun

nut·​meg ˈnət-ˌmeg 

: a spice that consists of the ground seeds of a small tropical evergreen tree grown especially in Indonesia

also : the seed or tree

Medical Definition

nutmeg

noun

nut·​meg ˈnət-ˌmeg, -ˌmāg 

1

: an aromatic seed that is used as a spice and is produced by a tree of the genus Myristica (M. fragrans of the family Myristicaceae, the nutmeg family) native to the Moluccas

called also myristica

2

: a tree that produces nutmegs