kernel

Plural: kernels

Noun

• the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone
  • "black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell"
• a single whole grain of a cereal
  • "a kernel of corn"
• the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
• The core, center, or essence of an object or system.
• The central (usually edible) part of a nut, especially once the hard shell has been removed.
• A single seed or grain, especially of corn or wheat.
• 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 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 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).
• The set of elements of the domain of f which are mapped to an identity element.
• 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).
• The set of elements of the domain of f which are mapped to an identity element.
• The set of elements of R which are mapped to the additive identity 0 of S.
• The set of elements of the domain of f which are mapped to an identity element.
• The set of elements of M which are mapped to the additive identity 0 of N.
• The equalizer of f and the zero morphism from X to Y, denoted operatorname kerf.
• The equalizer of f and the zero morphism from X to Y, denoted operatorname kerf.
• The source of operatorname kerf, denoted operatorname Kerf.
• The set of members of a fuzzy set that are fully included (i.e., whose grade of membership is 1).
• The human clitoris.
• The nucleus and electrons of an atom excluding its valence electrons.

Verb

Verb Forms: kernel, kernels, kerneled, kernelled, kerneling, kernelling

• To surround or enclose something like the inner part of a nut.
• To enclose within a kernel
• To crenellate

Examples

• If a function is continuous then its kernel is a closed set.
• The Dirichlet kernel convolved with a function yields its Fourier series approximation.
• the kernel of an argument
• The Linux kernel is open-source.
• The Scrabble player tried to KERNEL their opponent’s high-value tiles, trapping them for future turns.

Synonyms

center, centre, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, pith, substance, sum, bowels, brass tacks, crux, deets, details, drift, gravamen, guts, heartstring, heartstrings, kernel, moral of the story, nuts and bolts, punctum saliens, quintessence, soul, spirit, stuff, tenor

Antonyms

support, userland

Anagrams of kernel