English Explanatory Dictionary

kernel

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The core, center, or essence of an object or system.
  2. The central (usually edible) part of a nut, especially once the hard shell has been removed.
  3. A single seed of grain, especially of corn or wheat.
  4. The stone of certain fruits, such as peaches or plums.
  5. A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh.
  6. The central part of many computer operating systems which manages the system's resources and the communication between hardware and software components.
  7. The core engine of any complex software system.
  8. The simplified input to an algorithm that has undergone kernelization.
  9. A function used to define an integral transform.
  10. The set of pairs of elements in the domain of f which are mapped to the same value; the equivalence relation x≡y⟺f(x)=f(y).
  11. The set of elements of the domain of f which are mapped to an identity element.
  12. The set of elements of G which are mapped to the identity of H (usually written as 0 in an additive group and as 1 in a multiplicative group).
verb
  1. To enclose within a kernel
  2. To crenellate

Pronunciation

/ˈkɜː.nəl/ /ˈkɝ.nəl/ En-au-kernel.ogg /ˈkərnəl/ /ˈkɛrnəl/ /ˈkɜnəl/

Word forms

kernel kernels kerneling kernelling kerneled kernelled

Etymology

From Middle English kernel, kirnel, kürnel, from Old English cyrnel, from Proto-West Germanic *kurnil, diminutive of Proto-Germanic *kurną (“seed, grain, corn”), equivalent to corn + -le. Cognate with Yiddish קערנדל (kerndl), Middle Dutch kernel, cornel, Middle High German kornel. Related also to Old Norse kjarni (“kernel”).

Synonyms

crux gist bowels sum brass tacks core essence drift guts gravamen heart heart and soul heartstring heartstrings inwardness kernel marrow meat moral of the story nitty-gritty nub nuts and bolts pith punctum saliens quintessence soul spirit stuff substance tenor

Antonyms

userland support

Derived words

cokernel enkernel exokernel grape kernel KERNAL kernelate kernel corn kernel cowry kernel cowrie kernel function kernel hacker kernelisation kernelization kernelize kernelless kernelly kernel of truth kernel pair kernel panic kernel sentence kernel space multikernel nanokernel palm kernel palm kernel oil pine kernel positive-definite kernel subkernel tree kernel waxing kernel

Translations

Bulgarian: ядро Czech: jádro Danish: kerne Dutch: kern Finnish: nolla-avaruus Finnish: ydin French: noyau German: Kern Greek: πυρήνας Hungarian: mag Italian: nucleo Polish: jądro Portuguese: núcleo Russian: ядро́ Spanish: núcleo
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