nodule

[ noj-ool ]
See synonyms for nodule on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a small node, knot, or knob.

  2. a small, rounded mass or lump.

  1. Botany. a tubercle.

Origin of nodule

1
1590–1600; <Latin nōdulus a little knot, equivalent to nōd(us) node + -ulus-ule

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How to use nodule in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nodule

nodule

/ (ˈnɒdjuːl) /


noun
  1. a small knot, lump, or node

  2. Also called: root nodule any of the knoblike outgrowths on the roots of clover and many other legumes: contain bacteria involved in nitrogen fixation

  1. anatomy any small node or knoblike protuberance

  2. a small rounded lump of rock or mineral substance, esp in a matrix of different rock material

Origin of nodule

1
C17: from Latin nōdulus, from nōdus knot

Derived forms of nodule

  • nodular, nodulose or nodulous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for nodule

nodule

[ nŏjōōl ]


  1. A small, usually hard mass of tissue in the body.

  2. A small, knoblike outgrowth found on the roots of many legumes, such as alfalfa, beans, and peas. Nodules grow after the roots have been infected with nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Rhizobium. See more at legume.

  1. A small, rounded lump of a mineral or mixture of minerals that is distinct from and usually harder than the surrounding rock or sediment. Nodules often form by replacement of a small part of the rocks in which they form.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.