nutmeg

N1U1T1M3E1G2
/ˈnʌt.mɛɡ/

noun

An evergreen tree (Myristica fragrans) cultivated in the East Indies for its spicy seeds.

Similar
nutmeg treeMyristica fragrans
Less commonScrabble 9

Meanings

nounnutmeg (countable and uncountable, plural nutmegs)

plural nutmegs

  1. countableuncountableAn evergreen tree (Myristica fragrans) cultivated in the East Indies for its spicy seeds.
  2. The aromatic seed of this tree, used as a spice.
    1. uncountableThe powdered seed, ready for use.
    2. countableA whole nutmeg seed.
  3. countableuncountableA small moth, Hadula trifolii, feeding on plants and native to the Northern Hemisphere.
  4. countableuncountableA grey-brown colour.
  5. countableuncountablefield hockey or ice hockeyball gamesThe playing of the ball between the legs of an opponent.
    1 more example

    The same applied to Loftus-Cheek, who grew into the game after a quiet start and even had the impudence to slip the ball through Marcel Halstenberg’s legs in the first half. Nutmegs aside, Loftus-Cheek also came up with one of England’s best passes of the night, sending Jamie Vardy through the middle at the end of the first half.

    2017 November 10, Daniel Taylor, “Youthful England earn draw with Germany but Lingard rues late miss”, in The Guardian (London)
verbnutmeg (third-person singular simple present nutmegs, present participle nutmegging, simple past and past participle nutmegged)

present singular third person nutmegs · participle present nutmegging · participle past nutmegged · past nutmegged

  1. transitiveTo flavour with nutmeg.

    She decided the eggnog was lacking in flavor, so she decided to nutmeg it heavily.

  2. transitivehobbiesTo play the ball between the legs of (an opponent).
    1 more example

    Barcelona did not just out play them, they emphatically put them in their place during that opening 45 minutes when Luis Suárez scored twice, Dani Alves struck the crossbar, Lionel Messi nutmegged David Silva and Manuel Pellegrini’s team stumbled to the interval like a side in need of smelling salts rather than half-time oranges.

    2015 February 24, Daniel Taylor, “Luis Suárez strikes twice as Barcelona teach Manchester City a lesson”, in The Guardian (London)

Synonyms & antonyms

nounEast Indian tree widely cultivated in the tropics for its aromatic seed; source of two spices: nutmeg and mace

Similar
nutmeg treeMyristica fragrans
Broader
spice tree

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latinnux muscata“musky nut”
  2. Medieval Latinnux muga
  3. Middle Englishnotemege
  4. Englishnutmeg

From Middle English notemege, notemuge, a partial translation of Medieval Latin nux muga, a variant of Medieval Latin nux muscata (“musky nut”). Compare also Old French nois mugede. For the term used in various ball sports, see Wikipedia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans neutmuskaat
  • neutmuskaatspice
Ancient Greek κώμακον, μοσχοκάρυον
  • κώμακον (kṓmakon)spice
  • μοσχοκάρυον (moskhokáruon)spice
  • μοσχοκαρύδιον (moskhokarúdion)spice
Arabic جِسْرٌ صَغِير, جَوْزَةْ اَلطِّيب
  • جِسْرٌ صَغِير (jisrun ṣaḡīr)soccer/football sense
  • جَوْزَةْ اَلطِّيب (jawzat aṭ-ṭīb)spice
Bulgarian муска́тово о́рехче, инди́йско о́рехче
  • муска́тово о́рехче (muskátovo órehče)tree
  • инди́йско о́рехче (indíjsko órehče)tree
  • муска́т (muskát)tree
  • муска́тово дърво́ (muskátovo dărvó)tree
  • муска́тово о́рехче (muskátovo órehče)spice
  • инди́йско о́рехче (indíjsko órehče)spice
  • муска́т (muskát)spice
Catalan túnel, nou moscada
  • túnelsoccer/football sense
  • nou moscadaspice
Chinese Mandarin 穿裆, 肉豆蔻
  • 穿裆 (chuāndāng)soccer/football sense
  • 肉豆蔻 (ròudòukòu)spice
Czech jesle, housle
  • jeslesoccer/football sense
  • houslesoccer/football sense
  • gajdysoccer/football sense
  • muškátovníktree
  • macizeň pravátree
  • muškátspice
  • muškátový ořechspice
Danish tunnel, muskat
  • tunnelsoccer/football sense
  • muskatspice
  • muskatnødspice
Dutch panna, muskaatboom
  • pannasoccer/football sense
  • muskaatboomtree
  • muskaatspice
  • muskaatnootspice
  • nootmuskaatspice
  • poorten(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Esperanto muskato
  • muskatospice
Finnish syöttö jalkojen välistä, tunneli
  • syöttö jalkojen välistäsoccer/football sense
  • tunnelisoccer/football sense
  • muskottipuutree
  • muskottispice
  • muskottipähkinäspice
  • maustaa muskotillato flavour
  • syöttää jalkojen välistä(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
French petit pont, muscadier
  • petit pontsoccer/football sense
  • muscadiertree
  • noix de muscadespice
  • noix muscadespice
  • muscaderto flavour
  • faire un petit pont(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
German Tunnel, Beinschuss
  • Tunnelsoccer/football sense
  • Beinschusssoccer/football sense
  • Muskatnussbaumtree
  • Muskatbaumtree
  • Muskatspice
  • Muskatnussspice
  • tunneln(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Greek ποδιά, μοσχοκαρυδιά
  • ποδιά (podiá)soccer/football sense
  • μοσχοκαρυδιά (moschokarydiá)tree
  • μοσχοκάρυδο (moschokárydo)spice
Hawaiian hua ʻala, hua ʻala
  • hua ʻalatree
  • hua ʻalaspice
Hebrew מוסקט
  • מוסקט (muscat)tree
Hindi जायफल, जायफल
  • जायफल (jāyphal)tree
  • जायफल (jāyphal)spice
Hungarian kötény, alagútcsel
  • köténysoccer/football sense
  • alagútcselsoccer/football sense
  • bőrsoccer/football sense
  • szerecsendiófatree
  • szerecsendióspice
Icelandic múskat, klobba
  • múskatspice
  • klobba(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Indonesian pala, pala
  • palatree
  • palaspice
Irish noitmig
  • noitmigspice
Italian tunnel, noce moscata
  • tunnelsoccer/football sense
  • noce moscataspice
  • fare un tunnel(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Japanese ニクズク, ナツメグ
  • ニクズク (nikuzuku)tree
  • ナツメグ (natsumegu)spice
Malay pala, buah pala
  • palatree
  • buah palaspice
Māori natimeke
  • natimekespice
Norwegian muskatnøtt
  • muskatnøttspice
Norwegian Bokmål tunnel, muskat
  • tunnelsoccer/football sense
  • muskatspice
  • slå tunnel på(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Persian جوز هندی, گوز هندی
  • جوز هندی (jowz-e hendi)tree
  • گوز هندی (gowz-e hendi)tree
  • جوز هندی (jowz-e hendi)spice
  • گوز هندی (gowz-e hendi)spice
Polish siatka, rybka
  • siatkasoccer/football sense
  • rybkasoccer/football sense
  • muszkatowiectree
  • muszkatołowiectree
  • muszkattree
  • gałka muszkatołowaspice
  • przyprawiać muszkatemto flavour
  • przyprawić muszkatemto flavour
  • zakładać siatkę(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
  • założyć siatkę(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Portuguese túnel, cueca
  • túnelsoccer/football sense
  • cuecasoccer/football sense
  • canetasoccer/football sense
  • sainhasoccer/football sense
  • noz-moscadatree
  • noz-moscadaspice
Romanian nucșor, nucșoară
  • nucșortree
  • nucșoarăspice
Russian муска́тный оре́х, муска́т
  • муска́тный оре́х (muskátnyj oréx)tree
  • муска́т (muskát)tree
  • муска́тник (muskátnik)tree
  • муска́тный оре́х (muskátnyj oréx)spice
  • муска́т (muskát)spice
Spanish caño, túnel
  • cañosoccer/football sense
  • túnelsoccer/football sense
  • árbol de la nuez moscadatree
  • mirísticatree
  • nuez moscadaspice
  • hacer un túnel(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Swahili mkungumanga, kungumanga
  • mkungumangatree
  • kungumangaspice
Swedish tunnel, muskot
  • tunnelsoccer/football sense
  • muskottree
  • muskotträdtree
  • muskotspice
  • muskotnötspice
  • tunnla(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Tagalog moskada, moskada
  • moskadatree
  • moskadaspice
Tamil சாதிக்காய்மரம், சீமைக்கள்ளி
  • சாதிக்காய்மரம் (cātikkāymaram)tree
  • சீமைக்கள்ளி (cīmaikkaḷḷi)tree
  • சாதிக்காய் (cātikkāy)spice
Thai จันทน์เทศ
  • จันทน์เทศ (jan-têet)spice
Turkish beşik, Hint cevizi
  • beşiksoccer/football sense
  • Hint cevizitree
  • muskattree
  • muskatspice
  • beşik atmak(soccer) to play the ball between the legs of an opponent
Ukrainian муска́тний горі́х, муска́т
  • муска́тний горі́х (muskátnyj horíx)tree
  • муска́т (muskát)tree
  • муска́тник (muskátnyk)tree
  • муска́тний горі́х (muskátnyj horíx)spice
  • муска́т (muskát)spice
Vietnamese hạt nhục đậu khấu
  • hạt nhục đậu khấuspice
Welsh nytmeg, nytmegs
  • nytmegtree
  • nytmegstree
  • cnau'r Indiaspice
  • nytmegspice
Yiddish מושקאַט, מוסקאַטבוים
  • מושקאַט (mushkat)tree
  • מוסקאַטבוים (muskatboym)tree
  • מושקעטבוים (mushketboym)tree
  • מושקעט (mushket)spice
  • מוסקאַט (muskat)spice
  • מושקאַט (mushkat)spice

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

nutmeg. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutmeg

MLA

“nutmeg.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutmeg. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nutmeg,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nutmeg.

Source: nutmeg on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.