nucleus

Plural: nuclei, nucleuses

Noun

• The central and most important part of an object, group, or cell.
• a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
• the positively charged dense center of an atom
• a small group of indispensable persons or things
• (astronomy) the center of the head of a comet; consists of small solid particles of ice and frozen gas that vaporizes on approaching the sun to form the coma and tail
• any histologically identifiable mass of neural cell bodies in the brain or spinal cord
• the central structure of the lens that is surrounded by the cortex
• The core, central part of something, around which other elements are assembled.
• An initial part or version that will receive additions.
• The massive, positively charged central part of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons.
• A large membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells which contains genetic material.
• A ganglion, cluster of many neuronal bodies where synapsing occurs.
• The central part of a syllable, most commonly a vowel.

Examples

• The player strategically placed ’NUCLEUS’ at the board’s core, creating a strong foundation for future plays.
• This collection will form the nucleus of a new library.

Synonyms

cell nucleus, core, core group, karyon, lens nucleus