# nutshell

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈnʌt.ʃɛl/ · frequency rank #16,546

## Definitions
1. The shell that surrounds the kernel of a nut.
2. A short book summarizing an area of law.
3. A small boat; a boat considered small in comparison to the seas.

## Etymology
From Middle English notschelle, from Old English hnutsċiell, from Proto-West Germanic *hnutskallju, equivalent to nut + shell. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Nuteskele, Nuteskil (“nutshell”), Dutch notenschaal (“nutshell”), German Nussschale (“nutshell”).

## Common misspellings (11)
`nnutshell`, `ntushell`, `nusthell`, `nuthsell`, `nutsehll`, `nutshel`, `nutshhell`, `nutshlel`, `nutsshell`, `nuttshell`, `untshell`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nutshell