KERNEL


Meaning of KERNEL in English

— kernelless , adj. — kernelly , adj.

/kerr"nl/ , n. , v. , kerneled, kerneling or ( esp. Brit. ) kernelled, kernelling .

n.

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. Math. 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 Chem. the remainder of an atom after the valence electrons have been removed.

v.t.

8. to enclose as a kernel.

[ bef. 1000; ME kirnel, OE cyrnel, dim. of corn seed, CORN 1 ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .