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)