nodule

American  

[noj-ool] / ˈnɒdʒ ul /

noun

• nodules
  plural

1. a small node, knot, or knob.

2. a small, rounded mass or lump.

3. Botany. a tubercle.

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nodule British  

/ ˈnɒdjuːl /

noun

1. a small knot, lump, or node

2. Also called: root nodule. any of the knoblike outgrowths on the roots of clover and many other legumes: contain bacteria involved in nitrogen fixation

3. anatomy any small node or knoblike protuberance

4. a small rounded lump of rock or mineral substance, esp in a matrix of different rock material

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nodule Scientific  

/ nŏj′o̅o̅l /

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.

3. See more at legume

4. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nodular
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nodules
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of nodule

1590–1600; < Latin nōdulus a little knot, equivalent to nōd ( us ) node + -ulus -ule

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Explanation

A nodule is a small, raised bump under the skin. You might notice a nodule on the top of your foot after spraining your ankle. Any solid bump or node that you can feel just beneath your skin is a nodule. You may have noticed nodules in your neck when you have a sore throat or a nodule on your shin where you bumped it into the coffee table. Another kind of nodule is very similar, but appears on a plant's surface. The Latin root word is nodulus, "small knot," from nodus, or "knot."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nodule nodules

Leo himself announced the news of his operation during his weekly Sunday prayers, telling the crowd in St Peter's Square that doctors had found a nodule on his lung.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The 71-year-old leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics announced on Sunday that he would undergo an operation to remove a nodule from his lung.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

At a recent health checkup, doctors had discovered a small nodule in the 71-year-old pontiff’s lung, known as adenocarcinoma.

From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2026

He said the nodule was detected at “a very early stage” and that his doctors had recommended surgery to remove it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

“Right,” he said, and gripped a golden nodule that protruded from the trunk.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Most small nodules cause no symptoms and are only discovered during checks for other health issues.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

"It was her leg which was stuck within a rock cleft, and there was some space around the side of it and also nodules of rock which were stopping it from coming out," Rees said.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Before, Ahmad could tap — meaning to cut incisions in the acacia trees, which exude sap that a few weeks later hardens into nodules of Hashab gum — four orchards in one go.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

"Maybe the ridges were cemented by minerals first, and later episodes of groundwater left nodules around them."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 14, 2026

Bald cypress nodules and cattails hugged the water.

From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper

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Related Words

• growth
• knot
• node

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