kernel

See also: kérnél

English

Almond fruit broken open, showing the edible kernel (sense 2).

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂-
Proto-Indo-European *-nós
Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nósnom.
Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm
Proto-Germanic *kurną
Proto-West Germanic *korn
Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.
Proto-Germanic *-ilaz
Proto-West Germanic *-il
Proto-West Germanic *kurnil
Old English cyrnel
Middle English kirnel
English kernel

    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): /ˈkɜː.nəl/
    • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɝ.nəl/
    • Audio (Australia):(file)
    • Homophone: colonel (most accents)
    • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)nəl

    Noun

    kernel (plural kernels)

    1. The core, center, or essence of an object or system.
      Synonyms: crux, gist; see also Thesaurus:gist
      the kernel of an argument
    3. (botany) The central (usually edible) part of a nut, especially once the hard shell has been removed.
    4. (botany) A single seed of grain, especially of corn or wheat.
    5. (botany, US) The stone of certain fruits, such as peaches or plums.
    6. A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh.
    7. (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
      The Linux kernel is open-source.
    8. (computing) The core engine of any complex software system.
    9. (programming) The simplified input to an algorithm that has undergone kernelization.
    10. (calculus) A function used to define an integral transform.
      The Dirichlet kernel convolved with a function yields its Fourier series approximation.
    12. (mathematics, set theory, of a function f) 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).
      If a function is continuous then its kernel is a closed set.
    13. (mathematics, algebra, loosely, of a morphism f between algebraic structures) The set of elements of the domain of f which are mapped to an identity element.
      1. (mathematics, group theory, of a group homomorphism f:G→H between groups) 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).
      2. (mathematics, ring theory, of a ring homomorphism f:R→S between rings) The set of elements of R which are mapped to the additive identity 0 of S.
      3. (mathematics, linear algebra, of a linear transformation f:M→N between modules or vector spaces) The set of elements of M which are mapped to the additive identity 0 of N.
      Antonym: support
      Meronyms: root, zero
    14. (mathematics, category theory, of a morphism f:X→Y in a category with zero morphisms) The equalizer of f and the zero morphism from X to Y, denoted ker⁡f.
      1. (mathematics, category theory) The source of ker⁡f, denoted Ker⁡f.
    15. (mathematics, fuzzy set theory) The set of members of a fuzzy set that are fully included (i.e., whose grade of membership is 1).
    16. (slang) The human clitoris.
      • 2014, Karyn Gerrard, Irene Preston, Lotchie Burton, et al: Summer Heat: 10 Spicy Romances That Sizzle:
        Using the blunt end of one of the vibraphone mallets, he pried open her folds. With the balled end of the other, he rhythmically rolled over her kernel.
    17. (chemistry) The nucleus and electrons of an atom excluding its valence electrons.
      • 1916, Gilbert N. Lewis, “The Atom and The Molecule”, in Journal of the American Chemical Society, 38(4) p 768:
        1. In every atom is an essential kernel which remains unaltered in all ordinary chemical changes and which possesses an excess of positive charges corresponding in number to the ordinal number of the group in the periodic table to which the element belongs.
    18. (figurative) A seed, metaphorically: a concept or principle with a distinct essence that exists within a larger context and has potential for growth, development, and propagation, by the same mental model as a seed of doubt or a kernel of truth (grain of truth), and comparable to a nugget (of wisdom, advice, etc) or a pearl (such as a pearl of wisdom).
      • 2025 December 11, Charlie Campbell, Andrew R. Chow and Billy Perrigo, “The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year”, in Time‎[1], New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 September 2026:
        The drumbeat of warning that advanced AI could kill us all has mostly quieted; the “doomers” have been marginalized, now used by AI’s ruling class as a punch line. Yet even the most upbeat AI leaders are quick to offer kernels of warning.
    20. (horticulture, agriculture, pomology, fossil only) Synonym of seedling (“plant variety from seedling origin”).
      Ashmead's Kernel

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • → French: kernel
    • → Hungarian: kernel
    • → Indonesian: kernel
    • → Italian: kernel
    • → Japanese: カーネル (kāneru)
    • → Portuguese: kernel

    Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    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

    Hungarian

    Etymology

    From English kernel. [1]

    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

    Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)
    singular plural
    nominative kernel kernelek
    accusative kernelt kerneleket
    dative kernelnek kerneleknek
    instrumental kernellel kernelekkel
    causal-final kernelért kernelekért
    translative kernellé kernelekké
    terminative kernelig kernelekig
    essive-formal kernelként kernelekként
    essive-modal — —
    inessive kernelben kernelekben
    superessive kernelen kerneleken
    adessive kernelnél kerneleknél
    illative kernelbe kernelekbe
    sublative kernelre kernelekre
    allative kernelhez kernelekhez
    elative kernelből kernelekből
    delative kernelről kernelekről
    ablative kerneltől kernelektől
    non-attributive
    possessive – singular     		kernelé kerneleké
    non-attributive
    possessive – plural     		kerneléi kernelekéi
    Possessive forms of kernel
    possessor single possession multiple possessions
    1st person sing. kernelem kerneleim
    2nd person sing. kerneled kerneleid
    3rd person sing. kernele kernelei
    1st person plural kernelünk kerneleink
    2nd person plural kerneletek kerneleitek
    3rd person plural kernelük kerneleik

    References

    1. ^ István Tótfalusi (2005), Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára [A Storehouse of Foreign Words: An Explanatory and Etymological Dictionary of Foreign Words], Budapest: Tinta, →ISBN

    Indonesian

    Etymology

    Borrowed from English kernel, 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.

    Pronunciation

    • (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈkɛrnəl/ [ˈkɛr.nəl]
    • Rhymes: -ɛrnəl
    • Syllabification: ker‧nel

    Noun

    kernel (plural kernel-kernel)

    1. kernel
      1. (botany, agriculture) the stone of certain fruits, such as peaches or plums. (of oil palm)
      2. (computing, information technology) the central part of many computer operating systems which manages the system's resources and the communication between hardware and software components

    Further reading

    Middle English

    Noun

    kernel

    1. (Cambridgeshire or Lincolnshire; Norfolk) alternative form of kirnel

    Old French

    Alternative forms

    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

    References

    Portuguese

    Etymology

    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂-
    Proto-Indo-European *-nós
    Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nósnom.
    Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm
    Proto-Germanic *kurną
    Proto-West Germanic *korn
    Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.
    Proto-Germanic *-ilaz
    Proto-West Germanic *-il
    Proto-West Germanic *kurnil
    Old English cyrnel
    Middle English kirnel
    English kernelubor.
    Portuguese kernel

      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

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