What does nutrient mean?
Word: Nutrient
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Nutrient means a substance in food or soil that plants, animals and people need in order to grow.
Word origin: From Latin nutrire.
How do you spell nutrient?
Syllables: nu - tri - ent
Tricky part: The end is the weak spot. Said at normal speed it comes out as "ent", so the i gets lost and students write nutrent or nutriant.
Watch out for: nutrent, nutriant
Memory tip: An ingredient and a nutrient end the same way: every ingredient on your plate can bring a nutrient with it.
Nutrient in a sentence
Example 1: Spinach gives you iron, a nutrient that helps carry oxygen round the body.
Example 2: Our science teacher asked us to name one nutrient found in each item of our lunch boxes.
Example 3: Bananas are rich in potassium, a nutrient that the muscles use.
Fun Fact
Scientists sort nutrients by amount: macronutrients such as protein are needed in large quantities, while micronutrients such as iron are needed in tiny ones.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
The soil test showed that the field lacked a key neutrient, so the farmer dug in compost before sowing the wheat.
a) a rotted mixture of leaves and waste used on soil
b) something useful that plants draw up from the ground
c) a person who grows crops or keeps animals
d) a cereal plant whose grain is ground into flour
Show answer
b) something useful that plants draw up from the ground. Neutrient should read nutrient, the thing the field was short of.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. nutrition 2. nuisance 3. nutrient 4. nutmeg
a) 2314
b) 2431
c) 4231
d) 2413
Show answer
b) 2431. Nuisance and nutmeg go ahead; nutrient and nutrition match for five letters, and e comes before t at the sixth.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. nutrient 2. sediment 3. solvent a. material that sinks to the bottom of a liquid b. a liquid in which another substance dissolves c. what a growing body or root takes in and puts to use
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Sediment settles out of a liquid, a solvent dissolves things, and a nutrient is taken in and used.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Nutrient comes from the Latin word nutrire, which means ___.
a) to clean
b) to plant
c) to carry
d) to feed
Show answer
d) to feed. Nutrition and nourish grew from the same Latin verb, so both are linked to food.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which drink or snack gives you the most of the nutrient calcium?
a) a cup of black tea
b) a slice of apple
c) a glass of milk
d) a glass of water
Show answer
c) a glass of milk
2. A food label lists protein, iron and fibre. It is telling you what the food ___.
a) offers the body
b) weighs when packed
c) tastes like when cooked
d) costs in the shops
Show answer
a) offers the body
