---
title: nutshell — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «nutshell» in the school dictionary: The hard outer shell of a nut. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# nutshell

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** squirrel, we, nutshell, mean, you, nutshells · **What happens:** mean, say, crack, lose, be, divide · **To what, where:** few words, nutshell, total, story, floor · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«nutshell» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [nutshell in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/nutshell.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hard outer shell of a nut.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:m1:1
# text = The hard outer shell of a nut.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	outer	outer	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«In a nutshell» means in very few words, said briefly.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:m2:1
# text = «In a nutshell» means in very few words, said briefly.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	In	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	nutshell	nutshell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
6	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	very	very	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
12	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
13	briefly	briefly	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  | in a nutshell | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot in nutshell=Attribute |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past |  |  |  | few words |  | briefly *property* | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent in word=Manner |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The squirrel cracked the nutshell.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:x1:1
# text = The squirrel cracked the nutshell.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	squirrel	squirrel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	cracked	crack	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	nutshell	nutshell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **crack** | past | the squirrel | the nutshell |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location nutshell=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a nutshell, we lost because we were slow.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:x2:1
# text = In a nutshell, we lost because we were slow.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	nutshell	nutshell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
9	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	slow	slow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | past | we |  |  | a nutshell |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V PP.eventuality S\_ING»: agent=Agent in nutshell=Eventuality |
| 2 | **is** | past | we |  |  |  |  | slow *property* | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The walnut's nutshell is hard.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:x3:1
# text = The walnut's nutshell is hard.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	walnut	walnut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	nutshell	nutshell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the walnut's nutshell |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In a nutshell, the mean is the total divided by how many numbers there are.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:x4:1
# text = In a nutshell, the mean is the total divided by how many numbers there are.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	nutshell	nutshell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	mean	mean	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	total	total	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	divided	divide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
11	by	by	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	13	advmod	_	_
13	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	numbers	number	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
15	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	16	expl	_	_
16	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the mean | the total |  | a nutshell |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **divide** | participle |  | the total *not said here* |  |  |  | by many numbers | vn multiply-108-1 «NP V NP PP.co-theme»: agent=Agent by number=Co-Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Explain your story in a nutshell.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:x5:1
# text = Explain your story in a nutshell.
1	Explain	explain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	nutshell	nutshell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* | your story |  | a nutshell |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent story=Topic |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The nutshells lay all over the floor.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nutshell:x6:1
# text = The nutshells lay all over the floor.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	nutshells	nutshell	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	lay	lay	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	all	all	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	over	over	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** | present | the nutshells |  |  | the floor |  |  | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent over floor=Destination |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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