kernel

noun

ker·​nel ˈkər-nᵊl 

1

: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut

… as brown in hue as hazelnuts, and sweeter than the kernels.

—William Shakespeare

2

: a whole seed of a cereal

a kernel of corn

3

: a central or essential part : germ

Like many stereotypes … this one too contains some kernels of truth.

—S. M. Lyman

4

chiefly dialectal : a fruit seed

5

mathematics : a subset of the elements of one set (such as a group) that a function (such as a homomorphism) maps onto an identity element of another set

Synonyms of kernel

• root
• core
• essence
• heart

Examples of kernel in a Sentence

There's not a kernel of truth in what they say.

the kernel of your argument seems to be the inevitability of human migration into space

Recent Examples on the Web

Like corn kernels in slowly heating oil, the orca sightings began sparse and unpredictable. —Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025

Stone-ground grits are made from whole corn kernels and have a coarse texture and a more distinctive flavor. —Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2025

Yet even the most upbeat AI leaders are quick to offer kernels of warning. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025

And then the bran is where all of the color and pigment is of the wheat kernel. —Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cyrnel, diminutive of corn

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing kernel

• pine kernel

Rhymes for kernel

• colonel
• journal
• sternal
• vernal
• diurnal
• eternal
• external
• fraternal
• infernal
• internal
• maternal
• nocturnal

Kids Definition

kernel

noun

ker·​nel ˈkərn-ᵊl 

1

a

: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut

b

: a whole grain or seed of a cereal (as wheat or corn)

2

: a central or basic part

a kernel of truth in what they say