Main Entry: nod·ule

Pronunciation: \ˈnä-(ˌ)jül\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin nodulus, diminutive of nodus

Date: 15th century

: a small mass of rounded or irregular shape: as a : a small rounded lump of a mineral or mineral aggregate b : a swelling on a leguminous root that contains symbiotic bacteria c : a small abnormal knobby bodily protuberance (as a tumorous growth or a calcification near an arthritic joint)