node

noun \ ˈnōd \

Updated on: 22 Apr 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

Particular locations — such as border towns — act as key nodes, destinations and transit hubs where ivory is smuggled, stored and resold.

— kristof titeca, Washington Post, "I did the first long-term study investigating illegal ivory traders. Here’s what I learned.," 18 Apr. 2018
The smaller node and faster speeds doesn’t come for free, as AMD says the Ryzen 7 2700X carries a 105-watt TDP, compared to the 95W TDP of the first-gen Ryzen 7 1800X flagship.

— gordon mah ung, PCWorld, "AMD's 2nd-gen Ryzen CPUs are faster, cheaper, and all come with Wraith coolers," 13 Apr. 2018
This pillow has deep-kneading Shiatsu nodes to relax tight muscles and provides heat to soothe aching muscles.

— jessica teich, USA TODAY, "20 products with a cult following on Amazon, and why they're worth it," 11 Apr. 2018
At some point, with enough nodes densely packed in across big cities, any of these carriers could go from offering wireless inside buildings to offering it outdoors, too.

— christopher mims, WSJ, "5G Wireless Will Redraw the Wireless Industry Map: Who Stands to Lose?," 25 Mar. 2018
Elliot, a quiet, enigmatic, and savvy IT pro, sits in a cafe talking about gigabit Internet speeds, Tor networking, and the downfalls of onion-routing protocols due to exit nodes.

— nathan mattise, Ars Technica, "Mr. Robot remains the only show delivering cantennas and card readers," 23 Feb. 2018
Trying to identify cancer nodes — shifting black-and-white splotches that look something like a Rorschach test — is grueling work, and China’s doctors have far less time and resources than their counterparts in the United States and elsewhere.

— sui-lee wee and paul mozur, New York Times, "Amazon Wants to Disrupt Health Care in America. In China, Tech Giants Already Have.," 31 Jan. 2018
There will be dramatic highs and dispiriting lows, and little indication when the nodes and crests are coming.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: The Ups and Downs of Sloane Stephens," 4 Apr. 2018
Notice how long the 14nm process node has endured, the question marks next to the release window for 10nm chips, and the almost total absence of a future road map.

— vlad savov, The Verge, "Apple is moving on from Intel because Intel isn’t moving anywhere," 3 Apr. 2018

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

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