nutriment
C1/C2Formal, literary, technical (biological/medical)
Definition
Meaning
Food or other substances that provide nourishment essential for life and growth.
Anything that serves to nourish, sustain, or promote development, whether physical, intellectual, or spiritual.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically an uncountable mass noun referring to nourishment in a general sense. It can be used poetically or metaphorically for non-physical sustenance (e.g., intellectual nutriment). Less common than 'nourishment' or 'nutrition' in everyday language.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare in formal contexts in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly archaic or scientific/literary tone in both regions.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both corpora. More likely encountered in older texts, formal biological writing, or poetic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N of N (nutriment for the body)V N (absorb nutriment)ADJ N (essential nutriment)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in marketing for health foods or supplements (e.g., 'packed with essential nutriment').
Academic
Used in biological, agricultural, or medical texts to refer to substances that nourish an organism.
Everyday
Very rare. 'Food', 'nourishment', or 'nutrition' are preferred.
Technical
Used in biology and medicine to denote any substance that provides nutritional support.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Plants get nutriment from the soil.
- The patient was given a solution rich in essential nutriment intravenously.
- The soil must be fertile to provide sufficient nutriment for the crops.
- The documentary argued that social interaction is a vital nutriment for psychological development.
- The artist found nutriment for her creativity in the landscapes of her childhood.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'NEW-trim-ent' – you need NEW TRIM food to get essential nutrients and stay in TRIM shape.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS ARE FOOD (e.g., 'The book provided intellectual nutriment').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'питательное вещество' (nutrient) – 'nutriment' более общее понятие, ближе к 'пища' или 'питание'.
- В прямом переводе ('нутримент') слово в русском языке практически не используется.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'several nutriments' – better: 'several nutrients').
- Confusing it with 'nutrient' (a specific component like vitamin C, whereas 'nutriment' is the nourishing material in general).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the closest synonym for 'nutriment' in a biological context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A 'nutrient' (e.g., iron, vitamin C) is a specific chemical substance an organism needs. 'Nutriment' is a more general, often formal term for nourishment or food itself.
Yes, metaphorically. You can refer to 'intellectual nutriment' or 'spiritual nutriment', meaning ideas or experiences that nourish the mind or soul.
No, it is quite rare in everyday speech. 'Food', 'nourishment', or 'nutrition' are far more common. It is mostly found in formal, scientific, or literary writing.
Typically, it is used as an uncountable (mass) noun. The plural 'nutriments' is extremely rare and not standard in modern usage.