nodules

noun

plural of nodule
as in swellings
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue a nodule on the leaf indicated that a worm had laid eggs there

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nodules And just to take a step back, legumes are this incredible family of plants in nature that form nodules that are full of something called rhizobia, which are nitrogen-fixing bacteria. — Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 Deep-sea mining companies are targeting this vast reserves of metal-rich nodules to power the electric vehicle market. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026 Depending on the size, appearance, growth and cause of nodules, they can be either be monitored regularly by a physician or treated with medication or surgery. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital is home to the Lung Health Center, which sees nodules like this regularly. — Tara Molina, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 Applications Agriculture Similar to other legumes, butterfly pea harbors nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its root nodules, enabling it to enrich the soil with nitrogen. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 Five round nodules, each about a centimeter wide, clustered together like grapes, were stuck to the stone. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 Pulmonary nodules can be small and difficult to distinguish within the complex architecture of the lung. — Oran Muduroglu, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a bright cluster of nodules surrounded by fluid in her left frontal lobe. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodules
  1. swellings
  2. lumps
  3. nodes
  4. bumps
  5. bruises
  6. tumors
Noun
  • Burls are sound, hard, woody swellings or protrusions that form on the trunks, branches, or roots of trees.
    — Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • This microscopic roundworm lays its eggs in root tissues, causing swellings or galls to develop on infected roots.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Definition of swellings
Noun
  • Hopefully, Miami can begin to reap the benefits from the lumps that the trio of defensive linemen — Grant, Phillips and Biggers — received during their up-and-down rookie campaigns in 2025.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Peet, who had been screened since her late 30s because of dense breast tissue and prior benign lumps, was treated with a lumpectomy and radiation and is now on tamoxifen.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lumps
Noun
  • That’s probably the most beautiful, using a fluorescent tag to label the lipids inside the network and then tracking it across many different nodes.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Inventory, rates and content move across these multiple nodes before a customer ever sees a booking option.
    — Sanjay Ghare, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of nodes
Noun
  • Prior to the past week’s bumps, Buck and Aikman had been having a smooth ride.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, it won’t all be perfectly executed every night and there are bound to be bumps in the road as the team saw Friday night.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of bumps
Noun
  • The responding Oak Bluffs police officers saw bruises on her legs and a red mark on her neck, Scalice said.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Hutch seemed unhurt beyond a twisted knee, but Ed, stripped naked, was a mass of small cuts and bright greening bruises that made an awful background for ridges of clotted blood.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bruises
Noun
  • In a study of 154 people with this type of rectal cancer who were treated with dostarlimab, 68% had a complete clinical response at one year, which meant doctors could not see evidence of tumors on imaging or other methods for tracking the tumors.
    — Alice Park, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • What was more, the data suggested that going after the therapy’s bull’s-eye might unlock the power of immunotherapy in other, more common cancers that had stubbornly rebuffed such efforts, like pancreatic and ovarian tumors.
    — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumors

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nodules
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Cite this Entry

“Nodules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodules. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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