nodule

nod·ule  (njl)

n.

1. A small knotlike protuberance.

2. Anatomy A small mass of tissue or aggregation of cells.

3. Botany A small knoblike outgrowth, as those found on the roots of many leguminous plants.

4. Mineralogy A small rounded lump of a mineral or mixture of minerals, usually harder than the surrounding rock or sediment.

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[Middle English, from Latin ndulus, diminutive of ndus, knot; see ned- in Indo-European roots.]

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nodu·lar (nj-lr), nodu·lose (-ls), nodu·lous (-ls) adj.

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nodule

Noun

1. a small rounded lump, knot, or node

2. a rounded mineral growth on the root of a plant such as clover [Latin nodulus]

nodular adj

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nodule  (njl)

1. A small, usually hard mass of tissue in the body.

2. A small, knoblike outgrowth found on the roots of many legumes, such as alfalfa, beans, and peas. Nodules grow after the roots have been infected with nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Rhizobium. See more at legume.

3. A small, rounded lump of a mineral or mixture of minerals that is distinct from and usually harder than the surrounding rock or sediment. Nodules often form by replacement of a small part of the rocks in which they form.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	nodule - a small node node - any bulge or swelling of an anatomical structure or part
	2.	nodule - small rounded wartlike protuberance on a plant tubercle plant process, enation - a natural projection or outgrowth from a plant body or organ
	3.	nodule - (mineralogy) a small rounded lump of mineral substance (usually harder than the surrounding rock or sediment) mineralogy - the branch of geology that studies minerals: their structure and properties and the ways of distinguishing them geode - (mineralogy) a hollow rock or nodule with the cavity usually lined with crystals hunk, lump - a large piece of something without definite shape; "a hunk of bread"; "a lump of coal"