Meaning & use

kernel

noun·Everyday

The softer, often edible part inside the shell of a nut or the husk of a seed.

See it in a sentence

She picked out each popcorn kernel that hadn't fully popped.

There was a kernel of truth buried inside his exaggerated story.

A note on using this word

Figuratively used for the essential, central part of an idea, as in 'a kernel of truth,' distinct from its literal botanical sense.

Words with a similar meaning

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