kernel

UK/ˈkɜː.nəl/US/ˈkɝ.nəl/

kernel noun: the core, center, or essence of an object or system.

Image: GeXeS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

kernel (plural kernels)

The core, center, or essence of an object or system.
- the kernel of an argument
Synonyms:

crux, gist, bowels, sum, brass tacks, core, essence, drift, guts, gravamen
The central (usually edible) part of a nut, especially once the hard shell has been removed.
A single seed of grain, especially of corn or wheat.
(US) The stone of certain fruits, such as peaches or plums.
A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh.
The central part of many computer operating systems which manages the system's resources and the communication between hardware and software components.
- The Linux kernel is open-source.
Antonyms:

userland
The core engine of any complex software system.
The simplified input to an algorithm that has undergone kernelization.
A function used to define an integral transform.
- The Dirichlet kernel convolved with a function yields its Fourier series approximation.
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.
(broadly) 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).

Antonyms:

support
(broadly, ring theory) The set of elements of R which are mapped to the additive identity 0 of S.

Antonyms:

support

Show 5 more meaningsShow fewer meanings

(broadly) The set of elements of M which are mapped to the additive identity 0 of N.

Antonyms:

support
The equalizer of f and the zero morphism from X to Y, denoted operatorname kerf.
1. The source of operatorname kerf, denoted operatorname Kerf.
(fuzzy set theory) The set of members of a fuzzy set that are fully included (i.e., whose grade of membership is 1).
(slang) The human clitoris.
- 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.2014, Karyn Gerrard, Irene Preston, Lotchie Burton, et al: Summer Heat: 10 Spicy Romances That Sizzle
The nucleus and electrons of an atom excluding its valence electrons.
- 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.1916, Gilbert N. Lewis, “The Atom and The Molecule”, in Journal of the American Chemical Society, 38(4) p 768

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)

To enclose within a kernel
To crenellate

kernel meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali

kernel in Hindi

kernel: बीज bīj
kernel, core: गूदा gūdā

kernel in Tamil

உட்கரு, மைய உரு, உமி நீங்கிய தானியம், பருப்பு, கருனி

kernel in Bengali

শাঁস, শস্য, কেন্দ্রস্থল, মর্মস্থল, অন্তর্বীজ

More languagesFewer languages

kernel in Telugu: కెర్నల్, కేర్నల్, కెర్నెల్
kernel in Malayalam: പരിപ്പ്, ഫലബീജം, വിത്ത്, പ്രധാന ഭാഗം
kernel in Kannada: ತಿರುಳು, ಕೊಟ್ಟೆ, ಗೊರಟೆ, ಕಾಳು
kernel in Punjabi: ਕਰੈਨਲ
kernel in Sanskrit: फल phála
kernel in Assamese: গুটি guti
kernel in Arabic: نَوَاة nawāh
kernel in Malay: inti
kernel in Indonesian: kernel
kernel in Vietnamese: nhân

Examples of kernel in a sentence

In the Linux kernel, arch-specific code lives in the arch directory of the source tree.
The Linux kernel operating system is one of the most popular Unixes.
If you leave corn kernels out for too long, some will be unpoppable.

All 40 example sentences with kernel

Synonyms of kernel

19 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of kernel

Forms of kernel

Noun
plural	kernels
Verb
third-person singular present	kernels
present participle US	kerneling
present participle UK	kernelling
past participle US	kerneled
past US	kerneled
past participle UK	kernelled
past UK	kernelled

Plural of kernel: kernels

Origin of 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”).

Words formed from kernel

Phrases with kernel

Words that rhyme with kernel

40 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about kernel

What does kernel mean?: Kernel means the core, center, or essence of an object or system.
What is kernel in Hindi?: Kernel in Hindi is बीज (bīj), गूदा (gūdā). See Kernel meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is kernel?: Kernel can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce kernel?: Kernel is pronounced /ˈkɜː.nəl/ (UK).
What is the plural of kernel?: The plural of kernel is kernels.

Words near kernel in the dictionary

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-kernel.ogg.

Cite this entry: “kernel.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/kernel. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.