Kernel
['kɜːn(ə)l] or ['kɝnl]
Definition
(noun.) 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'.
(noun.) a single whole grain of a cereal; 'a kernel of corn'.
(noun.) 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'.
Edited by Johanna--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The essential part of a seed; all that is within the seed walls; the edible substance contained in the shell of a nut; hence, anything included in a shell, husk, or integument; as, the kernel of a nut. See Illust. of Endocarp.
(n.) A single seed or grain; as, a kernel of corn.
(n.) A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh.
(n.) The central, substantial or essential part of anything; the gist; the core; as, the kernel of an argument.
(v. i.) To harden or ripen into kernels; to produce kernels.
Editor: Madge
Synonyms and Antonyms
[See CORK]
Edited by Abraham
Definition
n. anything in a husk or shell: the substance in the shell of a nut: the seed of a pulpy fruit: the important part of anything.—adj. Ker′nelly full of or resembling kernels.
Editor: Maureen
Unserious Contents or Definition
or COLONELS,Articles often found in cores (or corps) and frequently surrounded by shells."
Typed by Deirdre
Examples
- He held up a nut which he had just cracked, and it contained no kernel—an apt illustration of his wasted life. Fergus Hume. The Island of Fantasy.
- I don't mean of the melting sort, but a sound kernel, _that_ you may be sure of. George Eliot. Middlemarch.
- We have given the name milk to the sweet and watery liquid, of a whitish color, which is inclosed in considerable quantity in the kernel. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- And I will give the missionary my energies--it is all he wants--but not myself: that would be only adding the husk and shell to the kernel. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- This rocky mountain, so sparsely clothed with trees, is only the uninviting shell of a very fine kernel. Fergus Hume. The Island of Fantasy.
- The kernels were in the milk and the leaves were entirely green. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- The kernels are used as food in a number of different forms, and when pressed, they yield an oil which is largely used in candle making and in the manufacture of soaps. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- At the time of cutting the stalks had well-formed but small ears, the kernels of which had largely passed the milk state; that is, the kernels were mostly glazed. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
Edited by Debra