Nut (fruit)

A nut is a fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, which is generally edible. In a general context, however, a wide variety of dried seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context, there is an additional requirement that the shell does not open to release the seed (indehiscent). The translation of "nut" in certain languages frequently requires paraphrases, as the word is ambiguous.

Most seeds come from fruits that naturally free themselves from the shell, unlike nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns, which have hard shell walls and originate from a compound ovary. The general and original usage of the term is less restrictive, and many nuts, such as almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and Brazil nuts, are not nuts in a botanical sense. Common usage of the term often refers to any hard-walled, edible kernel as a nut.

Botanical definition

A nut in botany is a simple dry fruit with one seed (rarely two) in which the ovary wall becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity, and where the seed remains unattached or free within the ovary wall. Most nuts come from the pistils with inferior ovaries (see flower) and all are indehiscent (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plant families of the order Fagales.

List of Marvel Comics characters: N

N'Gabthoth

N'Gabthoth is a demon who has clashed with the Doctor Strange. He once served as an agent of Shuma-Gorath. N'Gabthoth has great magical power, and could fire bolts of mystical force from his eye.

Nameless One

The Nameless One is a two-headed demon. The Nameless One first appeared in Sub-Mariner #22 (February 1970), and was created by Roy Thomas and Marie Severin. He was the leader of the Undying Ones, and led them to conquer the Earth millennia ago. The Undying Ones ruled the Earth for ages, though eventually their powers waned and were forced to return to their own realm. The Nameless One continued to rule them when they were exiled from Earth, and during several attempts to conquer it again in modern times. Later, another demon became a successor to the previous, two-headed Nameless One as leader of the Undying Ones. This demon tried to use Wolverine to kill Doctor Strange. Wolverine, enhanced by demonic magic, slew this Nameless One and many of the Undying Ones.

NUT Motorcycles

NUT Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1912 by Hugh Mason and Jock Hall, who had previously been making motorcycles since 1906 under a badge based on Mason's initials, HM, and later under the name of Jesmond and Bercley. By 1913 their racing motorcycles were competing successfully in the Isle of Man TT races and Hugh Mason's JAP engined NUT motorcycle won the 1913 Junior TT by just 46 seconds. Originally based on JAP and Villiers engines, NUT began to build their own V-twin sports machines. Following further racing success Mason and Hall moved to larger premises but the company could not survive the First World War and was declared bankrupt. The business was bought by Robert Ellis who restarted in 1921 as Hugh Mason and Company, but it foundered in 1922. Between 1923 and 1933 they continued to make motorcycles under the NUT name but in 1933 the company closed for good.

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Tree

In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, supporting branches and leaves in most species. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. Trees are not a taxonomic group but include a variety of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. In looser senses, the taller palms, the tree ferns, bananas and bamboos are also trees. Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. The tallest known tree, a coast redwood named Hyperion, stands 115.6 m (379 ft) high. Trees have been in existence for 370 million years. It is estimated that there are just over 3 trillion mature trees in the world.

A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk. This trunk typically contains woody tissue for strength, and vascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees it is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development. Flowers and fruit may also be present, but some trees, such as conifers, instead have pollen cones and seed cones; others, such as tree ferns, produce spores instead.

Trees in mythology

Trees are significant in many of the world's mythologies and religions, and have been given deep and sacred meanings throughout the ages. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, and the annual death and revival of their foliage, have often seen them as powerful symbols of growth, death and rebirth. Evergreen trees, which largely stay green throughout these cycles, are sometimes considered symbols of the eternal, immortality or fertility. The image of the Tree of life or world tree occurs in many mythologies.

Sacred or symbolic trees include the Banyan and the Peepal (Ficus religiosa) trees in Hinduism, the Yule Tree in Germanic mythology, the Tree of Knowledge of Judaism and Christianity, the Bodhi tree in Buddhism and Saglagar tree in Mongolian Tengriism. In folk religion and folklore, trees are often said to be the homes of tree spirits. Germanic paganism as well as Celtic polytheism both appear to have involved cultic practice in sacred groves, especially grove of oak. The term druid itself possibly derives from the Celtic word for oak. The Egyptian Book of the Dead mentions sycamores as part of the scenery where the soul of the deceased finds blissful repose.

Wood (Wu Xing)

Wood (Chinese: 木; pinyin: mù), sometimes translated as Tree, is the growing of the matter, or the matter's growing stage. Wood is the first phase of Wu Xing. Wood is yang in character. It stands for springtime, the east, the planet Jupiter, the color green, wind, and the Azure Dragon (Qing Long) in Four Symbols.

The Wu Xing are chiefly an ancient mnemonic device for systems with 5 stages; hence the preferred translation of "tree" over "wood".

Attributes

In Chinese Taoist thought, Wood attributes are considered to be strength and flexibility, as with bamboo. It is also associated with qualities of warmth, generosity, co-operation and idealism. The Wood person will be expansive, outgoing and socially conscious. The wood element is one that seeks ways to grow and expand. Wood heralds the beginning of life, springtime and buds, sensuality and fecundity. Wood needs moisture to thrive.

In Chinese medicine, wood is associated with negative feelings of anger, positive feelings of patience, and altruism.