node

noun

1
a
: a pathological swelling or enlargement (as of a rheumatic joint)
b
: a discrete mass of one kind of tissue enclosed in tissue of a different kind
2
: an entangling complication (as in a drama) : predicament
3
: either of the two points where the orbit of a planet or comet intersects the ecliptic
also : either of the points at which the orbit of an earth satellite crosses the plane of the equator
4
a
: a point, line, or surface of a vibrating body or system that is free or relatively free from vibratory motion
b
: a point at which a wave has an amplitude of zero
5
a
: a point at which subsidiary parts originate or center
b
: a point on a stem at which a leaf or leaves are inserted
c
: a point at which a curve intersects itself in such a manner that the branches have different tangents

Examples of node in a Sentence

the doctor examined the node on my knee before deciding it was the result of arthritis
Recent Examples on the Web Then, choose a section of stem directly underneath a node or leaf. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2023 The massager also provides six massage heads, 18 rotating massager nodes, and adjustable heat settings. Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 29 Aug. 2023 Moving your router or mesh nodes to better spots (central, high up, and in the open) can make a big difference. Simon Hill, WIRED, 21 Aug. 2023 As part of the tie-up, Aptos Labs will host validator nodes, or servers, that help secure a blockchain and process transactions on Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. Ben Weiss, Fortune Crypto, 9 Aug. 2023 In Philadelphia, the Working Families Party, which functions more like a political action committee and a node for various activist groups than like a strict political party, invested heavily last spring in Helen Gym, a former city council member vying to become the city’s next mayor. Ross Barkan, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2023 For the first time in 20 years, the lunar nodes shift into freedom-fighter Aries (north node) and justice-seeking Libra (south node) until Jan. 11, 2025. ELLE, 2 June 2023 Each precinct becomes a node; if precincts share a border in real life, they are joined by an edge in the graph. Mike Orcutt, Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2023 This skyrocketing caused a bottleneck in the meme pool, or memory pool, which is a list of pending transactions waiting for validation from a node before it is committed to a block on the blockchain. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 8 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'node.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin nodus knot, node; akin to Middle Irish naidm bond

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of node was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near node

Cite this Entry

“Node.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/node. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

node

noun
1
a
: a thickened or swollen enlargement (as of a joint with rheumatism)
b
: a mass of tissue in the body resembling a knot
2
: a point on a stem at which a leaf is inserted

Medical Definition

node

noun
1
a
: a pathological swelling or enlargement (as of a rheumatic joint)
b
: a body part resembling a knot
especially : a discrete mass of one kind of tissue enclosed in tissue of a different kind see atrioventricular node, lymph node
2
: a point, line, or surface of a vibrating body that is free or relatively free of vibratory motion

More from Merriam-Webster on node

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