What is a nut?
Q: What is a nut?
A: A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants.
Q: Are all dried seeds and fruits called nuts?
A: Yes, many dried seeds and fruits are called 'nuts' in English.
Q: What distinguishes a nut to a botanist?
A: Only some dried seeds and fruits are nuts to a botanist.
Q: What is the composition of nuts?
A: Nuts are made of the seed and the fruit, where the fruit does not open to release the seed.
Q: How do nuts differ from most seeds?
A: Nuts (such as hazelnuts, hickories, chestnuts and acorns) have a stony fruit wall which keeps the seed inside, while most seeds come from fruits, and the seeds are released from the fruit.
Q: Are all so-called nuts actually nuts in a biological sense?
A: No, many so-called nuts, like pistachios and Brazil nuts, are not nuts in a biological sense.
Q: How is the term "nut" commonly used?
A: Everyday common usage of the term often refers to any hard-walled, edible kernel as a nut.
