as in swellings
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
a nodule on the leaf indicated that a worm had laid eggs there
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Recent Examples of nodules
What patients experience—painful nodules, swelling, abscesses and drainage—is the visible endpoint of that internal cascade.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
There, red nodules formed and progressed to develop dark centers.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Plants That Benefit From Being Planted With Beans With the help of bacteria that grow in nodules on their roots, bean plants and their relatives enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air into a form usable by plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Heads with nodules made from rubber, plastic or silicone are better at keeping limescale from forming quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
China is leading a race to collect metal-rich nodules from the ocean floor, resources seen as key to clean energy.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Sinatra had been in a career slump and had also been suffering from a vocal cord hemorrhage and nodules.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Of particular interest are polymetallic nodules – agglomerations, typically smaller than a potato, containing manganese and other metals and found in the silt of the deep ocean floor.
—Coalter G Lathrop, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
The Metals Company has yet to study the impact on the approximately 20 to 30 percent of deep-sea life that depends on nodules.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
There, red nodules formed and progressed to develop dark centers.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Plants That Benefit From Being Planted With Beans With the help of bacteria that grow in nodules on their roots, bean plants and their relatives enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air into a form usable by plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Heads with nodules made from rubber, plastic or silicone are better at keeping limescale from forming quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
China is leading a race to collect metal-rich nodules from the ocean floor, resources seen as key to clean energy.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Sinatra had been in a career slump and had also been suffering from a vocal cord hemorrhage and nodules.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Of particular interest are polymetallic nodules – agglomerations, typically smaller than a potato, containing manganese and other metals and found in the silt of the deep ocean floor.
—Coalter G Lathrop, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
The Metals Company has yet to study the impact on the approximately 20 to 30 percent of deep-sea life that depends on nodules.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodules
Noun
-
Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The one exception is cocoa powder; those lumps need to be broken up.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
The Huskies, after winning the Big East championship and playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years, took some losses in the transfer portal and took their lumps in the early season southern and western swings, losing 10 of their first 12 games.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The green leaves grow to 2 inches long, and the leafy shoots spread along the ground, rooting at the nodes.—
Judy Nauseef,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
-
Remove bottom leaves and place slips in a clear glass jar of clean water to cover one or two leaf nodes.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
While Amazon has successfully courted high fashion brands over the years like Coach, there were a few bumps on the road.—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
-
No one who flew Spirit was doing caviar bumps in a lounge.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The attack left Wilson with a concussion, as well as bruises and abrasions throughout her face and body.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
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But by May 2027, the bruises suffered and the regrets carried may well be part of a different kind of journey.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Researchers also tested the device in gelatin models containing stiff spherical objects designed to mimic tumors hidden beneath tissue.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
-
Those are slow growing tumors that give symptoms of headaches that won't go away, seizures, and neurological issues.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nodules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodules. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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