Meanings
nounnutcracker (plural nutcrackers)
plural nutcrackers
- An implement for cracking nuts.
- abbreviationbroadlyellipsisEllipsis of nutcracker doll.
- New York CityUSA bootleg mixed drink made from a blend of alcohols and fruit juices.
1 more example
The colorful bottles have popped up every summer in black and Hispanic communities — from the bodegas of Washington Heights to the stoops of Fort Greene — since the early 1990s. On beach boardwalks, at neighborhood basketball courts and block parties, New Yorkers are drinking nutcrackers, boozy homespun cocktails made from a blend of alcohol and fruit juices.
2019 August 17, Aaron Randle, “Banned on the Beach? It’s Still Nutcracker Summer”, in New York Times - informalSomething that is difficult to figure out; a puzzle.
I hadn't been to school for a while so the math was a real nutcracker
1978, The Laboregister, volume 2, Michigan Department of Labor, page 177Synonyms: head-scratcher
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomething that is difficult to figure out; a puzzle.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounany of various small short-tailed songbirds with strong feet and a sharp beak that feed on small nuts and insects
Similar
Broader
oscineoscine bird
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Afrikaans notenkraker
- notenkrakerimplement for cracking nuts
Arabic كَسَّارَة جَوْز, كَسَّارَة بُنْدُق
- كَسَّارَة جَوْز (kassārat jawz)implement for cracking nuts
- كَسَّارَة بُنْدُق (kassārat bunduq)implement for cracking nuts
Basque intxaurkraskagailu
- intxaurkraskagailuimplement for cracking nuts
Bulgarian орешарка, орехотрошачка
- орешарка (orešarka)bird of the genus Nucifraga
- орехотрошачка (orehotrošačka)implement for cracking nuts
Catalan trencanous, trencanous
- trencanousbird of the genus Nucifraga
- trencanousimplement for cracking nuts
Chinese Mandarin 癟嘴食管 /瘪嘴食管, 胡桃夾子 /胡桃夹子
- 癟嘴食管 /瘪嘴食管 (biě zuǐ shí guǎn)implement for cracking nuts
- 胡桃夾子 /胡桃夹子 (hútáo jiázi)implement for cracking nuts
- 胡桃鉗 /胡桃钳 (hútáo qián)implement for cracking nuts
Czech ořešník, louskáček
- ořešníkbird of the genus Nucifraga
- louskáčekimplement for cracking nuts
Danish nøddekrige, nøddeknækker
- nøddekrigebird of the genus Nucifraga
- nøddeknækkerimplement for cracking nuts
Dutch notenkraker, notenkraker
- notenkrakerbird of the genus Nucifraga
- notenkrakerimplement for cracking nuts
Estonian mänsak
- mänsakbird of the genus Nucifraga
Finnish pähkinähakki, pähkinänsärkijä
- pähkinähakkibird of the genus Nucifraga
- pähkinänsärkijäimplement for cracking nuts
French cassenoix, casse-noix
- cassenoixbird of the genus Nucifraga
- casse-noiximplement for cracking nuts
- casse-noisettesimplement for cracking nuts
German Tannenhäher, Nussknacker
- Tannenhäherbird of the genus Nucifraga
- Nussknackerimplement for cracking nuts
Greek καρυοθραύστης
- καρυοθραύστης (karyothráfstis)implement for cracking nuts
Hindi सरौता
- सरौता (sarautā)implement for cracking nuts
Hungarian fenyőszajkó, diótörő
- fenyőszajkóbird of the genus Nucifraga
- diótörőimplement for cracking nuts
Icelandic notbrjótur, hnetubrjótur
- notbrjóturbird of the genus Nucifraga
- hnetubrjóturimplement for cracking nuts
Indonesian alat pemecah buah keras, pemecah kacang
- alat pemecah buah kerasimplement for cracking nuts
- pemecah kacangimplement for cracking nuts
- kacip gelukimplement for cracking nuts
Irish cnóire
- cnóirebird of the genus Nucifraga
Italian nocciolaia, schiaccianoci
- nocciolaiabird of the genus Nucifraga
- schiaccianociimplement for cracking nuts
Japanese くるみ割り
- くるみ割り (kurumiwari)implement for cracking nuts
Korean 잣까마귀, 호두까기
- 잣까마귀 (jatkkamagwi)bird of the genus Nucifraga
- 호두까기 (hodukkagi)implement for cracking nuts
Latvian riekstrozis, riekstu knaibles
- riekstrozisbird of the genus Nucifraga
- riekstu knaiblesimplement for cracking nuts
Lithuanian riešutinė
- riešutinėbird of the genus Nucifraga
Malay pemecah buah keras, kacip
- pemecah buah kerasimplement for cracking nuts
- kacipimplement for cracking nuts
Norwegian Bokmål nøtteknekker
- nøtteknekkerimplement for cracking nuts
Persian فندقشکن
- فندقشکن (fandoq-šekan)implement for cracking nuts
Polish orzechówka, dziadek do orzechów
- orzechówkabird of the genus Nucifraga
- dziadek do orzechówimplement for cracking nuts
Portuguese quebra-nozes, quebra-nozes
- quebra-nozesbird of the genus Nucifraga
- quebra-nozesimplement for cracking nuts
Romanian alunar, spărgător de nuci
- alunarbird of the genus Nucifraga
- spărgător de nuciimplement for cracking nuts
Russian кедро́вка, оре́ховка
- кедро́вка (kedróvka)bird of the genus Nucifraga
- оре́ховка (oréxovka)bird of the genus Nucifraga
- щипцы́ для оре́хов (ščipcý dlja oréxov)implement for cracking nuts
- щелку́нчик (ščelkúnčik)implement for cracking nuts
Scottish Gaelic cnòthair
- cnòthairbird of the genus Nucifraga
Slovak orešnica, luskáčik
- orešnicabird of the genus Nucifraga
- luskáčikimplement for cracking nuts
Spanish cascanueces, cascanueces
- cascanuecesbird of the genus Nucifraga
- cascanuecesimplement for cracking nuts
Swedish nötkråka, nötknäppare
- nötkråkabird of the genus Nucifraga
- nötknäppareimplement for cracking nuts
Tagalog pandurog ng nuwes
- pandurog ng nuwesimplement for cracking nuts
Turkish fındıkkıran
- fındıkkıranimplement for cracking nuts
Ukrainian горіхівка, лускунчик
- горіхівка (horixivka)bird of the genus Nucifraga
- лускунчик (luskunčyk)implement for cracking nuts
Vietnamese cái kẹp để kẹp trái de
- cái kẹp để kẹp trái deimplement for cracking nuts
Welsh malwr cnau, gefel gnau
- malwr cnaubird of the genus Nucifraga
- gefel gnauimplement for cracking nuts
Cite this entry
APA
nutcracker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutcracker
MLA
“nutcracker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutcracker. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nutcracker,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutcracker.
Source: nutcracker on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.