1
: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
… as brown in hue as hazelnuts, and sweeter than the kernels.—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: a whole seed of a cereal
a kernel of corn
3
: a central or essential part : germ
like many stereotypes … this one too contains some kernels of truth—S. M. Lyman
S. M. Lyman4
chiefly dialectal
: a fruit seed
5
mathematics
: a subset of the elements of one set (such as a group) that a function (such as a homomorphism) maps onto an identity element of another set
Synonyms
Examples of kernel in a Sentence
There's not a kernel of truth in what they say.
the kernel of your argument seems to be the inevitability of human migration into space
Recent Examples on the Web
The rice kernel contains three parts—the germ or core, the endosperm or middle layer, and a hard outer layer called the bran.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 27 Jan. 2025
Listen to this article In a season that has gone from great expectations to high anxiety, the Miami Heat now seemingly have moved on to kernels of hope.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2025
There’s a monarch butterfly and corn kernels and profiles of Honest Abe.
—Mark Harris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Thankfully, these nuts don't come from unlucky animals but are actually fleshy round kernels within the seeds of the Eurale ferox flower, an aquatic plant that belongs to the water lily family.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kernel 
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Jillian Kubala, Health, 27 Jan. 2025
Listen to this article In a season that has gone from great expectations to high anxiety, the Miami Heat now seemingly have moved on to kernels of hope.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2025
There’s a monarch butterfly and corn kernels and profiles of Honest Abe.
—Mark Harris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Thankfully, these nuts don't come from unlucky animals but are actually fleshy round kernels within the seeds of the Eurale ferox flower, an aquatic plant that belongs to the water lily family.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kernel
Articles Related to kernel
Dictionary Entries Near kernel
Cite this Entry
“Kernel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kernel. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kernel
noun
ker·nel
ˈkərn-ᵊl 
1
a
: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
b
: a whole grain or seed of a cereal (as wheat or corn)
2
: a central or basic part
a kernel of truth in what they say
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