(Fr. sillet; Ger. Sattel, Obersattel; It. capo tasto). In string instruments, the thin ridge inserted between the pegbox and fingerboard, and at a right angle to them (see Violin, fig.5). It is generally of ebony or other hardwood, but sometimes of ivory (especially in early instruments). The strings, secured at the lower end of the instrument, run over the bridge and then over the nut to the pegs or other tightening devices. The nut serves to raise the strings sufficiently above the fingerboard to allow the open strings to sound freely in a given length from nut to bridge and, like the bridge, it holds the strings at fixed distances apart by means of grooves cut in its top.
For the meaning of ‘nut’ when speaking of a bow see Frog.
DAVID D. BOYDEN/R