kernel

Noun
Synonyms: meatsubstancecorecentercentreessencegistheartheart and soulinwardnessmarrownub

WordNet 3.0

Noun (3)

  1. 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”Synonyms: meat
  2. a single whole grain of a cereal“a kernel of corn”
  3. 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”Synonyms: substancecorecentercentreessencegistheartheart and soulinwardnessmarrowmeatnubpithsumnitty-gritty
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Kernel \Ker"nel\, n. [OE. kernel, kirnel, curnel, AS. cyrnel, fr. corn grain. See Corn, and cf. Kern to harden.]

1.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. [1913 Webster]

'A were as good crack a fusty nut with no kernel— Shak.[1913 Webster]

2.A single seed or grain; as, a kernel of corn. [1913 Webster]

3.A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh. [1913 Webster]

4.The central, substantial or essential part of anything; the gist; the core; as, the kernel of an argument. [1913 Webster]

Kernel \Ker"nel\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Kerneledor Kernelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Kerneling or Kernelling.] To harden or ripen into kernels; to produce kernels. Kerneled

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

kernel kernal

(Note: NOT "kernal").

1.<operating system> The essential part of Unix or other operating systems, responsible for resource allocation, low-level hardware interfaces, security etc. See also microkernel.

2.<language> An essential subset of a programming language, in terms of which other constructs are (or could be) defined. Also known as a core language.

(1996-06-07)

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