Definition of node
1a : 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
4a : a point, line, or surface of a vibrating body or system that is free or relatively free from vibratory motionb : a point at which a wave has an amplitude of zero
5a : a point at which subsidiary parts originate or centerb : a point on a stem at which a leaf or leaves are insertedc : a point at which a curve intersects itself in such a manner that the branches have different tangentsd : vertex 1b
Explore Merriam-Webster
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
-
Studio City, $$ Ted Hopson’s tuna crudo is fanned out above a node of Calabrian chiles.
-
By studying the distribution of ETNO nodes—the points in orbit where the ETNOs cross the plane of the solar system—astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid believe there must be a planet beyond Pluto affecting the orbits of the ETNOs.
-
Dates, nodes and character conflict: addressing the lissamphibian origin problem.
-
Yosinski zooms in on one of the AI’s individual computational nodes—the neurons, so to speak—to see what is prompting its response.
-
People who get the bubonic plague may experience fever, chills and weakness as well as painful lymph nodes.
-
The cancer has spread throughout her body, traveling to her adrenal gland, lymph nodes, pancreas, jaw and bone marrow.
-
Neural networks (more accurately known as artificial neural networks) are a type of artificial intelligence comprised of thousands of processing nodes, Larry Hardesty of MIT News explains.
-
A 1,200-mile fiber optic network stretching from Beijing to Shanghai already shuttles useful quantum keys between hundreds of nodes.
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
NODE Defined for English Language Learners
node
playDefinition 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
playDefinition of node for Students
: a thickened spot or part (as of a plant stem where a leaf develops)
Medical Dictionary
node
playMedical Definition of node
1a: 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
Learn More about node
-
See words that rhyme with node Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for node Spanish Central: Translation of node Nglish: Translation of node for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of node for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about node
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up node? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!