node

noun \ ˈnōd \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Definition of node

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

d : vertex 1b

See node defined for English-language learners

See node defined for kids

Examples of node in a Sentence

the doctor examined the node on my knee before deciding it was the result of arthritis

Recent Examples of node from the Web

Strong spending in memory and process-node upgrades at the major chip makers are also fueling increased spending on equipment.

— dan gallagher, WSJ, "Chip-Equipment Makers in Crosshairs of Trade War," 25 June 2018
And very industrial age about key points, key nodes in an economy and so on.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Former NSA and CIA director General Michael Hayden on Recode Decode," 19 June 2018
For the first time since 2011, the lunar nodes (which reveal the upper and lower boundaries of the moon's orbit) will begin oscillating across the Cancer and Capricorn axis for the next two years.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What Your Sign's July 2018 Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 29 June 2018
No sooner did the first nodes of what became the internet make their first connection than fans began using it to build stable and persistent group infrastructures for their fandom.

— nancy baym, WIRED, "Book Excerpt: How Music Fans Built the Internet," 10 July 2018
Delaware’s evolving fintech node grows from its role as the nation’s credit-card lending center.

— joseph n. distefano, Philly.com, "Fintech lenders are tracking and judging your digital trail," 3 July 2018
Beginning on Thursday, July 12, the lunar nodes shift into the Cancer-Capricorn sky.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What Your Sign's July 2018 Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 29 June 2018
Your doctor can perform a lymph node biopsy with a needle or after removing the nodes via surgery, according to the ACS.

— korin miller, SELF, "8 Helpful Things to Know About Getting a Breast Biopsy Before It Happens," 27 June 2018
Across the street from the Yale School of Architecture, squeezed between towering apartments, Miya's Sushi is a low-slung node of resistance to the scale and money surrounding it.

— ryan knighton, Popular Mechanics, "The Truth Is in the Muck," 6 Oct. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'node.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of node

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

node Synonyms

Synonyms

bump, knot, lump, nodule, swelling;

Related Words

growth, tumor, wart;

hump, hunch;

bruise, contusion, welt;

blister, boil;

blob, chunk, clod, clump, gob, gobbet, hunk, knob, nub, nubble, nugget, wad;

NODE Defined for English Language Learners

node

noun

Definition of node for English Language Learners

: a small lump or mass of tissue in your body
: the small round part on the stem of a plant where a leaf grows
: a place where lines in a network cross or meet

NODE Defined for Kids

node

noun \ ˈnōd \

Definition of node for Students

: a thickened spot or part (as of a plant stem where a leaf develops)

Medical Dictionary

node

noun \ ˈnōd \

medical Definition of node

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