node

noun

Synonyms of nodenext
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Roberts described a scenario where AI agents running on edge compute can autonomously diagnose and recover a network node at the far end of a circuit, reducing the need for his team to run or drive over and fix it manually. John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026 Which represents a more fundamental architectural shift at the silicon level than a straightforward node shrink. Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026 That means roughly 8,000 XFRA nodes match the power demand of a medium-sized 100-megawatt data center. Vanessa Bates Ramirez, Scientific American, 22 May 2026 Nadar herself, who has continued to grow the museum into one of the most important nodes in the South Asian art ecosystem. Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for node

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Node.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/node. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster