nucleus

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The core, central part of something, around which other elements are assembled.

   Situated in the centre of the largest agricultural basin in northern Formosa, T’ai-pei (population in 1964 was estimated to be 1,117,000) forms the nucleus of a major industrial area. The T’ai-pei industrial complex includes light and heavy industies within the urbanized area and also in several industrial suburbs, including Pan-ch’iao and Nan-chiang.

2. 2
   noun

   An initial part or version that will receive additions.

   This collection will form the nucleus of a new library.

3. 3
   noun

   the central structure of the lens that is surrounded by the cortex

4. 4
   noun

   a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction

5. 5
   noun

   any histologically identifiable mass of neural cell bodies in the brain or spinal cord

6. 6
   noun

   a small group of indispensable persons or things

7. 7
   noun

   the positively charged dense center of an atom

8. 8
   noun

   (astronomy) the center of the head of a comet

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *knuks Latin nux Latin nucleuslbor. English nucleus Learned borrowing from Latin nucleus (“kernel, core”). The earliest uses refer to the head of a comet and the kernel of a seed, both recorded in Lexicon Technicum in 1704. The sense in atomic physics was coined by British scientist Michael Faraday in 1844 in a theoretical meaning.