What does nutshell mean?
Word: Nutshell
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Nutshell means the hard outer case of a walnut or an almond, which has to be cracked open before you can eat what is inside.
How do you spell nutshell?
Syllables: nut - shell
Tricky part: The word finishes with a double l. Many children stop after one l and write nutshel.
Watch out for: nutshel, nutshelle
Memory tip: Imagine the two l's at the end as two tall trees standing side by side, so you never plant just one.
Idioms and Phrases
- in a nutshell: in very few words Example: "In a nutshell, the school trip was great fun."
Nutshell in a sentence
Example 1: The squirrel dropped an empty nutshell from the top of the tree.
Example 2: The table was covered in bits of nutshell after our snack.
Example 3: Grandpa cracked the nutshell carefully and passed me what was inside.
Fun Fact
The Roman writer Pliny told of a copy of a very long poem written so small that it fitted inside a nutshell.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Fusion
Add the correct option to the following to make a new word:
________shell
a) nut
b) nat
c) knut
d) nutt
Show answer
a) nut. The front part is the same nut you find in a packet of cashews, with just one t.
Spellacadabra
From which option does a letter need to be removed to make a meaningful word?
a) popcorn
b) nutsshell
c) cupcake
d) pancake
Show answer
b) nutsshell. Take out one s and you have the hard case of a nut.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
suntlehl
a) the tough case that keeps a peanut or almond safe
b) a long thin brush used for painting
c) a small cup used for drinking hot milk
d) a flat stone found on a sandy beach
Show answer
a) the tough case that keeps a peanut or almond safe. Rearranged, these eight letters make nutshell.
Word Champ
Which of the words cannot be made using the letters in the given word?
nutshell
a) tell
b) lunch
c) hunt
d) shut
Show answer
b) lunch. There is no c anywhere in nutshell, so lunch is the odd one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What do you usually do with a nutshell once you have eaten what is inside?
a) add it to a salad
b) keep it in the fridge
c) put it in the bin
d) cook it for dinner
Show answer
c) put it in the bin
2. Which fruit has a hard shell that you crack, a bit like a nutshell?
a) a banana
b) a tomato
c) a coconut
d) a grape
Show answer
c) a coconut
