nodule

[ noj-ool ]

/ ˈnɒdʒ ul /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: nodule / nodules on Thesaurus.com

noun

a small node, knot, or knob.

a small, rounded mass or lump.

Botany. a tubercle.

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 nodule

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

Words nearby nodule

nodose, no doubt, nod out, nodular, nodular cast iron, nodule, nodulous, nodulus, nodus, noegenesis, Noel

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

How to use nodule in a sentence

Five bars covered in nodules roll with the motion of the foot.
Best foot massager for for a spa experience in your home|Irena Collaku|July 28, 2021|Popular-Science
In the most common version of deep-sea mining, huge excavation robots scour the seabed for polymetallic nodules, small potato-sized clusters of key minerals such as cobalt and nickel.
The Battle for the Ocean Floor|Sean Culligan|July 14, 2021|Ozy
Each nodule contains at its core a small piece of shell or fossil, which is surrounded by minerals growing like crystals on its surface.
The Largest Cells on Earth - Issue 99: Universality|Rebecca R. Helm|May 5, 2021|Nautilus
The process is shockingly slow, with the average nodule estimated to grow at a rate of a few centimeters every million years, and the slowest at only a few millimeters in that time.
The Largest Cells on Earth - Issue 99: Universality|Rebecca R. Helm|May 5, 2021|Nautilus

Mining involves tractor-sized vacuums attached by tubes to a ship above that suck nodules to the surface.
The Largest Cells on Earth - Issue 99: Universality|Rebecca R. Helm|May 5, 2021|Nautilus
Doubtless, an eddy from this hole accounts for the deposit of snow and, by accretions, for the erection of the nodule.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
There had been a little nodule in his brain as there was a little nodule in Oliver's throat.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
The gland, which is seen as a nodule, is drawn forward with forceps.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
The deep-seated variety starts from the superficial form, or it begins as a tubercle or nodule in the skin.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon
A nodule, more or less evident, is found near the border which is usually striate.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity|Charles Sumner Boyer

British Dictionary definitions for nodule

nodule

/ (ˈnɒdjuːl) /

noun

a small knot, lump, or node

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

anatomy any small node or knoblike protuberance

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

Derived forms of nodule

nodular, nodulose or nodulous, adjective

Word Origin for nodule

C17: from Latin nōdulus, from nōdus knot

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 nodule

nodule

[ nŏj′ōōl ]

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

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.

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.

nodule

Origin of nodule

Words nearby nodule

Words related to nodule

How to use nodule in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nodule

Derived forms of nodule

Word Origin for nodule

Scientific definitions for nodule