nutshell
|nut-shell|
B2
🇺🇸
/ˈnʌtˌʃɛl/
🇬🇧
/ˈnʌtʃɛl/
concise summary
Etymology
Etymology Information
'nutshell' originates from Old English, specifically the words 'hnutu' meaning 'nut' and 'scell' meaning 'shell'.
Historical Evolution
'hnutu' and 'scell' combined in Old English to form 'hnutscyll', which eventually became the modern English word 'nutshell'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it referred to the literal shell of a nut, but over time it evolved to also mean a concise summary.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/02/23 00:51