Definition

Noun:
- Edible kernel of a nut: "nutmeat" refers to the soft, edible inner part of a nut, typically the seed or kernel that is eaten after removing the hard shell.

Usage Examples

• (The edible kernel inside the walnut shell.)
• (The edible kernel of nuts used in cooking.)
• (The soft edible part of nuts.)

Advanced Usage

• "nutmeat" as a culinary ingredient: In cooking, "nutmeat" is used as a general term for the edible part of any nut, often ground or chopped for use in dishes like pesto, nut butters, or baked goods.

  • The chef prepared a creamy sauce using blended nutmeat from cashews. (The edible kernel of cashews used as a base.)

• Figurative use: Rarely, "nutmeat" may be used metaphorically to refer to the essential or valuable core of something.

  • The nutmeat of the argument was the need for better communication. (The central, crucial point.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nut (n): a fruit consisting of a hard shell enclosing an edible kernel.

  • He cracked the nut to get the kernel. (The entire fruit, including the shell.)

• Meat (n): the flesh of animals or the edible part of fruits, nuts, or seeds.

  • The meat of the coconut is white and firm. (The edible part of a coconut.)

Synonyms

• Kernel: the softer, edible part of a nut, seed, or fruit stone.

  • The kernel of a pecan is sweet and buttery. (The edible part.)

• Seed: a small, usually edible part of a plant that can grow into a new plant.

  • Sunflower seeds are a type of nutmeat. (Edible seeds of a plant.)

Related Idioms

• "Tough nut to crack": a problem or person that is difficult to understand or deal with.
  • This puzzle is a tough nut to crack. (A difficult problem.)
    Note: This idiom uses "nut" rather than "nutmeat", but relates to the concept of the nut's shell being hard to break.