kernel

English Online Dictionary. What means kernel‎? What does kernel mean?

English

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”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɜːnəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɝnəl/
• Homophone: colonel
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl

Noun

kernel (plural kernels)

1. The core, center, or essence of an object or system.

   Synonyms: crux, gist

2. (botany) The central (usually edible) part of a nut, especially once the hard shell has been removed.
3. (botany) A single seed or grain, especially of corn or wheat.
4. (botany, US) 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. (computing) The central part of many computer operating systems which manages the system's resources and the communication between hardware and software components.

   Antonym: userland

   Hyponyms: microkernel, unikernel

7. (computing) The core engine of any complex software system.
8. (programming) The simplified input to an algorithm that has undergone kernelization.
9. (calculus) A function used to define an integral transform.

10. (mathematics) A set of pairs of a mapping's domain which are mapped to the same value.
11. (mathematics, linear algebra, group theory, functional analysis) For a given function (especially a linear transformation between vector spaces or homomorphism between groups), the set of elements in the domain which are mapped to zero; (formally) given f : X → Y, the set {x ∈ X : f(x) = 0}.

    Antonym: support

    Meronyms: root, zero

12. (mathematics, category theory) For a category with zero morphisms: the equalizer of a given morphism and the zero morphism which is parallel to that given morphism.
13. (mathematics, fuzzy set theory) The set of members of a fuzzy set that are fully included (i.e., whose grade of membership is 1).
14. (slang) The human clitoris.
15. (chemistry) The nucleus and electrons of an atom excluding its valence electrons.

Synonyms

• (core or essence): See also Thesaurus:gist

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Japanese: カーネル (kāneru)

Translations

Verb

kernel (third-person singular simple present kernels, present participle (US) kerneling or (UK) kernelling, simple past and past participle (US) kerneled or (UK) kernelled)

1. To enclose within a kernel
2. To crenellate

Anagrams

• kleren

Hungarian

Etymology

From English kernel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɛrnɛl]
• Hyphenation: ker‧nel
• Rhymes: -ɛl

Noun

kernel (plural kernelek)

1. (computing) kernel (the central part of many computer operating systems)

   Synonym: rendszermag

Declension

References

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cernel, curnel, kernell, kirnel, karnel, kurnel, kurnele, kyrnel, kyrnell, cornel

Etymology

From Old English cyrnel, from Proto-West Germanic *kurnil; equivalent to corn +‎ -el (agentive suffix). Some forms are influenced by corn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɛrnəl/, /ˈkirnəl/, /ˈkurnəl/, /ˈkɔrnəl/

Noun

kernel (plural kerneles)

1. The seed, grain or stone of a fruit or nut.
2. (by extension) A granule; a small grain, flake, or ball.
3. (figurative) The fundamental, superior or essential part.
4. (anatomy) An organ responsible for production of substances.
5. (medicine) A distended organ or growth.

Derived terms

Descendants

• English: kernel
  • → Japanese: カーネル (kāneru)
• Scots: kirnel; churnel

References

• “kirnel, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-06.

Old French

Alternative forms

• crenel

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.).

Noun

kernel oblique singular, m (oblique plural kerneaus or kerneax or kerniaus or kerniax or kernels, nominative singular kerneaus or kerneax or kerniaus or kerniax or kernels, nominative plural kernel)

1. crenel (space in a battlement from which weapons may be used on an incoming enemy)

Descendants

• → English: crenel
• French: créneau

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (crenel, supplement)

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English kernel.

Noun

kernel m (plural kernels)

1. (computing) kernel (central part of certain operating systems)
2. (calculus) kernel (a function used to define an integral transform)
3. (algebra) kernel (set of elements mapped to zero)

Synonyms

• núcleo