'nut-free' originates from English, specifically the words 'nut' and 'free', where 'nut' meant 'a seed of certain fruits' and 'free' (used as a combining element/suffix in modern compounding) meant 'without'.

'nut' traces back to Old English 'hnutu' and ultimately Proto-Germanic; 'free' traces back to Old English 'frēo'. The compound form 'nut-free' arose in modern English (20th century) as part of food-labeling compounds modeled on forms like 'sugar-free'.

Initially, 'free' meant 'not in bondage' or 'exempt', but over time, as a suffix in compounds it developed the sense 'without', leading to the current meaning of 'nut-free' as 'without nuts'.