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core

[ kawr, kohr ]

/ kɔr, koʊr /

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noun

the central part of a fleshy fruit, containing the seeds.

the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything.

Also called magnetic core .Electricity. the piece of iron, bundle of iron wires, or other ferrous material forming the central or inner portion in an electromagnet, induction coil, transformer, or the like.

(in mining, geology, etc.) a cylindrical sample of earth, mineral, or rock extracted from the ground by means of a corer so that the strata are undisturbed in the sample.

the inside wood of a tree.

Anthropology. a lump of stone, as flint, from which prehistoric humans struck flakes in order to make tools.Compare flake tool.

Carpentry.

a thickness of wood forming a base for a veneer.
a wooden construction, as in a door, forming a backing for veneers.

Engineering. kern².

Metallurgy.

a thickness of base metal beneath a cladding.
the softer interior of a piece of casehardened metal.
a specially formed refractory object inserted into a mold to produce cavities or depressions in the casting that cannot be readily formed on the pattern.

Geology. the central portion of the earth, having a radius of about 2,100 miles (3,379 km) and believed to be composed mainly of iron and nickel in a molten state.Compare crust (def. 6), mantle (def. 3).

Also called reactor core .Physics. the region in a reactor that contains its fissionable material.

Computers.

Also called magnetic core . a small ring or loop of ferromagnetic material with two states of polarization that can be changed by changing the direction of the current applied in wires wound around the ring, used to store one bit of information or to perform switching or logical functions.
Also called main memory, RAM . a term used to refer to main memory, though no longer made from from coils of ferromagnetic material.

Ropemaking. heart (def. 16).

Phonetics. the final segment of a syllable beginning with the vowel and including any following consonants; the nucleus plus the coda.Compare onset (def. 3).

the muscles of the torso, which provide support for the spine and pelvis: Building a strong core can help with posture and flexibility and can prevent back injury.

verb (used with object), cored, cor·ing.

to remove the core of (fruit).

to cut from the central part.

to remove (a cylindrical sample) from the interior, as of the earth or a tree trunk: to core the ocean bottom.

to form a cavity in (a molded object) by placing a core, as of sand, in the mold before pouring.

adjective

of central importance; basic; fundamental: the core values of our organization.

noting or relating to the muscles of the torso: core exercises for back pain.

OTHER WORDS FOR core

2 essence, heart, gist, kernel, nub; center,

See synonyms for core on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of core

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1945–50 for def. 11; Middle English; origin uncertain; perhaps from Old French cors “body,” from Latin corpus

OTHER WORDS FROM core

coreless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH core

core , corps, corpse, corpus

Other definitions for core (2 of 5)

core²

[ kawr, kohr ]

/ kɔr, koʊr /

noun Chiefly Scot.

a small company or group of people, especially a gang of miners or a small corps of workers.

Origin of core

First recorded in 1620–30; alteration of Middle English chor(e) “group, company; choir”; see chorus

Other definitions for core (3 of 5)

Core

[ kawr-ee, kohr-ee ]

/ ˈkɔr i, ˈkoʊr i /

noun

Korah.

Classical Mythology. Kore.

Other definitions for core (4 of 5)

CORE

or C.O.R.E.

[ kawr, kohr ]

/ kɔr, koʊr /

noun

Congress of Racial Equality.

Other definitions for core (5 of 5)

-core

a combining form extracted from hard-core, used to form words that name a rebellious or nonmainstream lifestyle, social movement, type of music, etc.: normcore; queercore; emocore.

the compounding form of core, used to form words describing an aesthetic or imagery that evokes nostalgia for vintage styles, traditional skills, past trends, etc.: grandmacore; cottagecore.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE -CORE

What does -core mean?

The combining form –core is used like a suffix to denote “a rebellious, anti-mainstream lifestyle, social movement, type of music, etc.”

The form –core comes from the expression hardcore, “a form of punk rock or other nonmainstream popular music.” Hardcore can denote not just a kind of a music but an entire lifestyle culture. From this, –core came to denote other music scenes, lifestyle cultures, or aesthetics.

Examples of -core

One example of a term that features the form –core is emocore, “a type of guitar-based rock music derived from punk rock but characterized by highly emotive, melodramatic, personal lyrics.”

The element emo– here is short for “emotional.” As we have already seen, –core denotes a rebellious type of music. Emocore literally means “a rebellious and emotional type of music.”

What are some words that use the combining form –core?

cottagecore
punkcore
queercore
lovecore

What are some other forms that –core may be commonly confused with?

-chore
-corn

Not every word that ends with the exact letters –core, e.g., soft-core or fourscore, is necessarily using the combining form –core to denote “a rebellious lifestyle.” Learn why fourscore means “eighty” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

Given the meaning of –core, what is queercore?

How to use core in a sentence

It is a spy series at its core, but you guys never really pull from the headlines.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Another read: “We need leaders who will stand against Common Core.”
Rand Paul’s Passive-Aggressive Trolling Campaign|Olivia Nuzzi|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A soldier in the service of ideals and aspirations that formed his core.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Some of them would open up deep splits in core Democratic constituencies.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society|Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Politicians who openly associated with Duke, or his hard-core associates, did so at their own risk.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Harris, exhausted and shaken as he was to the very core, paced by his side, only half listening.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
In moments of utter bereavement who has not felt, to the heart's core, the tender attachment of a faithful dog?
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
It was one of the conservative sheets, comic-less, reactionary Republican to the core.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The measure of oil also, a bate of oil is the tenth part of a core: and ten bates make a core: for ten bates fill a core.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
She peered at first into Um's room for there, indeed, lay the core of old Mata's heart.
The Dragon Painter|Mary McNeil Fenollosa

British Dictionary definitions for core (1 of 3)

core

/ (kɔː) /

noun

the central part of certain fleshy fruits, such as the apple or pear, consisting of the seeds and supporting parts

the central, innermost, or most essential part of somethingthe core of the argument
(as modifier)the core meaning

a piece of magnetic material, such as soft iron, placed inside the windings of an electromagnet or transformer to intensify and direct the magnetic field

geology the central part of the earth, beneath the mantle, consisting mainly of iron and nickel, which has an inner solid part surrounded by an outer liquid part

a cylindrical sample of rock, soil, etc, obtained by the use of a hollow drill

shaped body of material (in metal casting usually of sand) supported inside a mould to form a cavity of predetermined shape in the finished casting

physics the region of a nuclear reactor in which the reaction takes place

a layer of wood serving as a backing for a veneer

computing

one of several processing units working in parallel in a computer
a ferrite ring formerly used in a computer memory to store one bit of information
short for core store
(as modifier)core memory

archaeol a lump of stone or flint from which flakes or blades have been removed

physics the nucleus together with all complete electron shells of an atom

verb

(tr) to remove the core from (fruit)

Derived forms of core

coreless, adjective

Word Origin for core

C14: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for core (2 of 3)

CORE

/ (kɔː) /

n acronym for (in the US)

Congress of Racial Equality

British Dictionary definitions for core (3 of 3)

-core

n combining form

indicating a type of popular musicdancecore

adj combining form

indicating the number of processing units working in parallel in a computerdual-core

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for core

core

[ kôr ]

The central or innermost portion of the Earth, lying below the mantle and probably consisting of iron and nickel. It is divided into a liquid outer core, which begins at a depth of 2,898 km (1,800 mi), and a solid inner core, which begins at a depth of 4,983 km (3,090 mi).

A piece of magnetizable material, such as a rod of soft iron, that is placed inside an electrical coil or transformer to intensify and provide a path for the magnetic field produced by the current running through the wire windings.

The central part of a nuclear reactor where atomic fission occurs. The core contains the fuel, the coolant, and the moderator.

A long, cylindrical sample of soil, rock, or ice collected with a drill to study the strata of material that are not visible from the surface.

A stone from which one or more flakes have been removed, serving as a tool in itself or as a source of flakes from which other tools could be fashioned. Stones used as cores include flint, chert, and obsidian. See more at core tool.

Cultural definitions for core

core

In geology, the central region of the Earth; it extends fourteen hundred to eighteen hundred miles from the Earth's center.

notes for core

The core is made primarily of iron and nickel and has two parts — an inner solid core and an outer liquid core.

notes for core

The mantle is the layer of the Earth that overlies the core.

Other Idioms and Phrases with core

core

see rotten to the core.

core

OTHER WORDS FOR core

Origin of core

OTHER WORDS FROM core

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH core

Other definitions for core (2 of 5)

Origin of core

Other definitions for core (3 of 5)

Other definitions for core (4 of 5)

or C.O.R.E.

Other definitions for core (5 of 5)

WORDS THAT USE -CORE

What does -core mean?

Examples of -core

Break it down!

Words related to core

How to use core in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for core (1 of 3)

Derived forms of core

Word Origin for core

British Dictionary definitions for core (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for core (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for core

Cultural definitions for core

notes for core

notes for core

Other Idioms and Phrases with core