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nucleus

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nu⋅cle⋅us

  [noo-klee-uhs, nyoo-]
Use nucleus in a Sentence
–noun, plural -cle⋅i  [-klee-ahy] , -cle⋅us⋅es.
1. a central part about which other parts are grouped or gathered; core: A few faithful friends formed the nucleus of the club.
2. Biology. a specialized, usually spherical mass of protoplasm encased in a double membrane, and found in most living eukaryotic cells, directing their growth, metabolism, and reproduction, and functioning in the transmission of genic characters.
3. Physics. the positively charged mass within an atom, composed of neutrons and protons, and possessing most of the mass but occupying only a small fraction of the volume of the atom.
4. Anatomy. a mass of nerve cells in the brain or spinal cord in which nerve fibers form connections.
5. Also called condensation nucleus. Meteorology. a particle upon which condensation of water vapor occurs to form water drops or ice crystals.
6. Chemistry. a fundamental arrangement of atoms, as the benzene ring, that may occur in many compounds by substitution of atoms without a change in structure.
7. Astronomy. the condensed portion of the head of a comet.
8. Phonetics.
a. the central, most prominent segment in a syllable, consisting of a vowel, diphthong, or vowellike consonant, as the a-sound in cat or the l-sound in bottled; peak.
b. the most prominent syllable in an utterance or stress group; tonic syllable.
Origin:
1695–1705; < L: kernel, syncopated var. of nuculeus, equiv. to nucu(la) little nut (nuc-, s. of nux nut + -ula -ule ) + -leus n. suffix

Synonyms:
1. center, kernel, heart.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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nu·cle·us   (nōō'klē-əs, nyōō'-)   
n.   pl. nu·cle·i (-klē-ī') or nu·cle·us·es

  1. A central or essential part around which other parts are gathered or grouped; a core: the nucleus of a city.

  2. Something regarded as a basis for future development and growth; a kernel: a few paintings that formed the nucleus of a great art collection.

  3. Biology A large, membrane-bound, usually spherical protoplasmic structure within a living cell, containing the cell's hereditary material and controlling its metabolism, growth, and reproduction.

  4. Botany

    1. The central kernel of a nut or seed.

    2. The center of a starch granule.

    3. The central portion of the head of a comet.

    4. The central or brightest part of a nebula or galaxy.

  5. Anatomy A group of specialized nerve cells or a localized mass of gray matter in the brain or spinal cord.

  6. Physics The positively charged central region of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons and containing almost all of the mass of the atom.

  7. Chemistry A group of atoms bound in a structure, such as a benzene ring, that is resistant to alteration in chemical reactions.

  8. Astronomy

    1. The central portion of the head of a comet.

    2. The central or brightest part of a nebula or galaxy.

  9. Meteorology A particle on which water vapor molecules accumulate in free air to form a droplet or ice crystal.

  10. Linguistics The part of a syllable having the greatest sonority. In the word middlemost (mĭd'l-mōst') the nuclei of the three syllables are (ĭ), (l), and (ō); in the Czech word krk ("neck"), the nucleus is (r).


[Latin nuculeus, nucleus, kernel, from nucula, little nut, diminutive of nux, nuc-, nut.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

nucleus

plur. nuclei (nooh-klee-eye)

The small, dense center of the atom. The nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons and has a positive electrical charge.

Note: Nuclear physics deals with the composition and structure of the nucleus.

nucleus

plur. nuclei

In biology, the central region of the cell, in which DNA is stored. The nucleus usually appears as a dark spot in the interior of the cell. Primitive cells (such as bacteria and blue-green algae) have no nuclei.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

nucleus 
1704, "kernel of a nut," 1708, "head of a comet," from L. nucleus "kernel," from nucula "little nut," dim. of nux (gen. nucis) "nut," from PIE *knu(k) "lump" (cf. M.Ir. cnu, Welsh cneuen, M.Bret. knoen "nut," O.N. hnot, O.E. hnutu "nut"). General sense of "central part or thing, about which others cluster" is from 1762. Use in reference to cells first recorded 1831. Modern atomic meaning is 1912, first by Ernest Rutherford, though theoretical use for "central point of an atom" is from 1844, in Faraday.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: nu·cle·us
Pronunciation: 'n(y)ü-klE-&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural nu·clei /-klE-"I/ also nu·cle·us·es
1 : a cellular organelle of eukaryotes that is essential to cell functions (as reproduction and protein synthesis), iscomposed of nuclear sap and a nucleoprotein-rich network from which chromosomes and nucleoli arise, and is enclosed in a definite membrane
2 : a mass of gray matter or group ofnerve cells in the central nervous system
3 : a characteristic and stable complex of atoms or groups in a molecule; especially : RING 2 nucleus>
4 : the positively charged central portion of an atom thatcomprises nearly all of the atomic mass and that consists of protons and neutrons except in hydrogen which consists of one proton only
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

nucleus nu·cle·us (n&oomacr;'klē-əs, ny&oomacr;'-)
n. pl. nu·cle·us·es or nu·cle·i (-klē-ī')

  1. A large, membrane-bound, usually spherical protoplasmic structure within a living cell, containing the cell's hereditary material and controlling its metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Also called karyon.

  2. A membraneless structure in microorganisms that contains genetic material but does not itself replicate. Also called nucleoid.

  3. A group of specialized nerve cells or a localized mass of gray matter in the brain or spinal cord.

  4. The substance around which a urinary or other calculus forms.

  5. The positively charged central region of an atom that is composed of protons and neutrons and that contains almost all of the mass of the atom.

  6. A group of atoms bound in a structure, such as a benzene ring, that is resistant to alteration in chemical reactions.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
nucleus   (n'klē-əs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural nuclei (n'klē-ī')

  1. The positively charged central region of an atom, composed of one or more protons and (for all atoms except hydrogen) one or more neutrons, containing most of the mass of the atom. The strong force binds the protons and neutrons, also known as nucleons, to each other, overcoming the mutual repulsion of the positively charged protons. In nuclei with many nucleons, however, the forces of repulsion may overcome the strong force, and the nucleus breaks apart in the process of radioactive decay. The protons and neutrons are arranged in the nucleus in energy levels known as shells analogous to those of the electrons orbiting the nucleus. The number of protons in the nucleus determines the atom's atomic number and its position in the Periodic Table. See more at atom.

  2. An organelle in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells (all cells except prokaryotes) that contains nearly all the cell's DNA and controls its metabolism, growth, and reproduction. The nucleus is surrounded by a pair of membranes called the nuclear envelope, which can be continuous in places with the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum. The membranes of the nuclear envelope have interconnected pores that allow the exchange of substances with the cell's cytoplasm. The nuclear DNA is wrapped around proteins (called histones) in strands of chromatin, which exists in a matrix known as nucleoplasm (analogous to the cytoplasm outside the nucleus). Just prior to cell division, the chromatin condenses into individual chromosomes, which contain the cell's hereditary information. The nucleus also contains at least one spherical nucleolus, which mainly contains RNA and proteins and directs the construction of the cell's ribosomes. See more at cell.

    1. The solid central part of a comet, typically several kilometers in diameter and composed of ice, frozen gases, and embedded chunks of rock and dust. It is the permanent part of a comet from which the coma and tail are generated as the comet approaches the Sun. See more at comet.

    2. See galactic nucleus.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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