Meanings
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1
noun
a naturally occurring solid lump of a precious metal, especially gold
The prospector found a gold nugget lodged between two stones in the streambed.
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2
noun
a small compact piece or portion of something
The child dipped a chicken nugget into the sauce.
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3
noun
a small but valuable fact, idea, or piece of advice
The lecture contained a useful nugget of information about the archive.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Origin uncertain. The word appeared in nineteenth-century Australia for natural lumps of gold and may derive from an English dialect word nug, 'lump,' or from Scottish knudge, 'a short, sturdy person or animal,' with the diminutive suffix -et.