From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
kernel
n 1: 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" [syn: meat]
2: a single whole grain of a cereal; "a kernel of corn"
3: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some
idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's
argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party";
"the nub of the story" [syn: substance, core,
center, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul,
inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum,
nitty-gritty]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Kernel \Ker"nel\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Kerneledor Kernelled;
p. pr. & vb. n. Kerneling or Kernelling.]
To harden or ripen into kernels; to produce kernels. Kerneled
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Kernel \Ker"nel\, n. [OE. kernel, kirnel, curnel, AS. cyrnel,
fr. corn grain. See Corn, and cf. Kern to harden.]
1. The essential part of a seed; all that is within the seed
walls; the edible substance contained in the shell of a
nut; hence, anything included in a shell, husk, or
integument; as, the kernel of a nut. See Illust. of
Endocarp.
[1913 Webster]
'A were as good crack a fusty nut with no kernel
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. A single seed or grain; as, a kernel of corn.
[1913 Webster]
3. A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a
nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh.
[1913 Webster]
4. The central, substantial or essential part of anything;
the gist; the core; as, the kernel of an argument.
[1913 Webster]
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 Sep 2003) [foldoc]:
kernel
(Note: NOT "kernal").
1. <operating system> The essential part of Unix or other
operating systems, responsible for resource allocation,
low-level hardware interfaces, security etc. See also
microkernel.
2. <language> An essential subset of a programming language,
in terms of which other constructs are (or could be) defined.
Also known as a core language.
(1996-06-07)