kernel

kernel

the central, softer part within a hard shell of a nut or fruit stone; the whole seed of grain such as wheat or corn: Popcorn is made from the kernel of corn.; the nucleus or essential part of anything: There was a kernel of truth in everything she said.

Not to be confused with:

colonel – a commissioned officer in the armed forces

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

ker·nel

 (kûr′nəl)

n.

1. A grain or seed, as of a cereal grass, enclosed in a husk.

2. The usually edible seed inside the hard covering of a nut or fruit stone.

3.

a. The central or most important part; the core: "The kernel of his practical religion was that it was respectable, and beneficial to one's business, to be seen going to services" (Sinclair Lewis).

b. A small amount of something, especially when potentially developing into something else: detected a kernel of anger in his remarks.

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[Middle English, from Old English cyrnel; see gr̥ə-no- in Indo-European roots.]

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ker′neled adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

kernel

(ˈkɜːnəl)

n

1. (Botany) the edible central part of a seed, nut, or fruit within the shell or stone

2. (Botany) the grain of a cereal, esp wheat, consisting of the seed in a hard husk

3. the central or essential part of something

vb, -nels, -nelling or -nelled, -nels, -neling or -neled

(intr) rare to form kernels

[Old English cyrnel a little seed, from corn seed; see corn¹]

ˈkernel-less adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ker•nel

(ˈkɜr nl)

n., v. -neled, -nel•ing (esp. Brit.) -nelled, -nel•ling. n.

1. the softer, usu. edible part contained in the shell of a nut or the stone of a fruit.

2. the body of a seed within its husk.

3. the central or most important part of anything; essence; core.

v.t.

4. to enclose in or as if in a kernel.

[before 1000; Middle English kirnel, Old English cyrnel, diminutive of corn corn¹]

ker′nel•less, adj.

ker′nel•ly, adj.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

ker·nel

(kûr′nəl)

1. A grain or seed, especially of a cereal plant such as corn or wheat, that is enclosed in a husk.

2. The inner, often edible part of a nut or stone of a fruit, such as a peach or plum.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

kernel

Past participle: kernelling
Gerund: kernelled

Imperative

kernel

kernel

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	kernel - the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone; "black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell" meat plant part, plant structure - any part of a plant or fungus seed - a small hard fruit
	2.	kernel - a single whole grain of a cereal; "a kernel of corn" corn - the dried grains or kernels or corn used as animal feed or ground for meal caryopsis, grain - dry seed-like fruit produced by the cereal grasses: e.g. wheat, barley, Indian corn
	3.	kernel - the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story" essence, heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, pith, substance, gist, meat, nub, sum, core, marrow, heart, center, centre cognitive content, mental object, content - the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned bare bones - (plural) the most basic facts or elements; "he told us only the bare bones of the story" hypostasis - (metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality haecceity, quiddity - the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other quintessence - the purest and most concentrated essence of something stuff - a critically important or characteristic component; "suspense is the very stuff of narrative"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

kernel

noun essence, core, substance, gist, grain, marrow, germ, nub, pith the kernel of his message

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

kernel

noun

1. A fertilized plant ovule capable of germinating:

pip, pit, seed.

2. A source of further growth and development:

bud, embryo, germ, nucleus, seed, spark.

3. The most central and material part:

core, essence, gist, heart, marrow, meat, nub, pith, quintessence, root, soul, spirit, stuff, substance.

Law: gravamen.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

لُب الموضوع، جَوْهَر المسألَهنواة، حَبَّة، بِذْرَه

jádropecka

kerne

Kern

πυρήνας

núcleo

amandefondnoyau

lényegemagva

kjarni

nocciolonucleogherigliochiccocuore di un sistema operativo

branduolys

būtībakauliņškodols

stein

núcleo

косточкаядро

çekirdek içiesasöz

果核核心

kernel

[ˈkɜːnl] N [of nut] → almendra f; (= seed) [of fruit] → pepita f, pepa f (LAm); [of grain] → grano m (fig) [of matter, question] → meollo m, núcleo m
a kernel of truth → un grano de verdad

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

kernel

[ˈkɜː^rn^əl] n

[nut] → amande f

(= central point) (fig) → noyau m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

kernel

n (lit, fig) → Kern m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

kernel

[ˈkɜːnl] n (of nut) → gheriglio; (of fruit stone) → nocciolo, seme m

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

kernel

(ˈkəːnl) noun

1. the softer substance inside the shell of a nut, or the stone of a fruit such as a plum, peach etc. pit نواة، حَبَّة، بِذْرَه ядка miolo jádro, pecka der Kern kerne ψίχα, κουκούτσιsemilla, pepita, hueso tuum مغز؛ دانه sydän amande הַגֵלעִין गिरी, दाना jezgra bél biji kjarni nocciolo 仁 (과실의) 인(仁); (콩 등의) 꼬투리, 겉껍질 속의 열매 branduolys (rieksta) kodols; (augļa) kauliņš isi pitkjerne; steinjądro زړى يازڼى چه كلك خورولرى،تخم، دتخم مغز، دهرشى منځنى برخه، لب لباب miolo sâmbure; miez ядро jadro jedro, koščica jezgro kärna เนื้อในของลูกไม้เปลือกแข็ง çekirdek içi 果核 ядро; кісточка میوے کی گری ، مغز hạt 果核

2. the central, most important part of a matter. kern لُب الموضوع، جَوْهَر المسألَه същина miolo jádro der Kern kerne η ουσία ενός θέματος núcleo, meollo iva بخش اصلی ydin fondגרעין सार srž lényege, magva vminek inti kjarni nocciolo 核心 중심부 esmė būtība inti sari persoalan kernkjernesedno مهمه رښتيني حصه miolo fond (al problemei) суть jadro jedro srž kärna แก่นของเรื่อง öz, esas 核心 суть کسی شے کا مرکز یا اہم حصہ trọng tâm 核心

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.