Nux

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The outer covering of a seed, commonly known as a shell or husk
2. A term used in botanical contexts referring to the hard, protective layer surrounding certain types of seeds
3. An anatomical term that may describe the surrounding coat of a fruit, particularly in relation to nuts and seeds

Etymology: In Latin, "nux" (genitive "nucis") simply meant "nut," the hard-shelled fruit or seed. English took the word in its Latin form for scientific and botanical use, and it rarely appears on its own in modern English. Its connection to the everyday word "nut" is probably ancient, since both likely descend from a shared Indo-European root, though the exact link is debated. The most familiar relative is "nucleus," which is a diminutive of "nux" meaning "little nut." Botanists borrowed it for the central body inside a cell, and Robert Brown used it in 1831 to describe the nucleus he had observed in orchid cells. Another Latin form survives in the name of a poisonous seed, "nux vomica," from the strychnine tree. Its name translates as "vomiting nut," a reference to its use as an emetic in old medicine.

Synonyms: nut, seed, kernel, pit, stone