Word of the Day
: October 8, 2011nutmeg
playWhat It Means
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
2 : a tree yielding nutmeg
nutmeg in Context
Before I can make the pumpkin pie, I will need to go to the store to get cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
"She spices sweet potatoes with cinnamon and nutmeg and gives a pan of broccoli -- dressed with hardly anything more -- a quick trip in the oven." -- From an article by Jennifer Justus in The Tennessean, September 7, 2011
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."
Test Your Memory
What is the meaning of "impugn," our Word of the Day from September 24? The answer is ...
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