kernel

American  

[kur-nl] / ˈkɜr nl /

noun

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

2. the body of a seed within its husk or integuments.

3. a whole seed grain, as of wheat or corn.

4. South Atlantic States. the pit or seed of a peach, cherry, plum, etc.

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

   His leadership is the kernel of the organization.

6. Mathematics. the set of elements that a given function from one set to a second set maps into the identity of the second set.

7. Also called rumpf.  Physical Chemistry. the remainder of an atom after the valence electrons have been removed.

---

verb (used with object)

kerneled, kerneling, kernelled, kernelling

1. to enclose as a kernel.

kernel British  

/ ˈkɜːnəl /

noun

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

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

3. the central or essential part of something

---

verb

1. rare (intr) to form kernels

kernel Scientific  

/ kûr′nəl /

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

2. The inner, usually edible seed of a nut or fruit stone.

---

Other Word Forms

• kernel-less adjective
• kernelless adjective
• kernelly adjective

Etymology

Origin of kernel

before 1000; Middle English kirnel, Old English cyrnel, diminutive of corn seed, corn ¹

Example Sentences

The company’s approach is to form cement into tiny balls, each about the size of a kernel of corn.

From The Wall Street Journal

Iran's track record of feeding kernels of truth alongside false information has sown doubt among many critics of the regime inside and outside the country.

From BBC

Malhees said in his post that the restriction “hurts” but offered his followers and supporters a kernel of truth: “You can block a passport. You cannot block a voice.”

From Los Angeles Times

Scenes of Redford and Hoffman taking phone calls and scribbling down notes, or poring over library slips in desperate search of a kernel of a lead, were thrilling.

From Salon

It reminded me of our old white leghorn hens picking up yellow kernels of corn from the ground.

From Literature

Related Words

• fruit
• grain
• meat
• morsel
• nut