core

1 of 4

noun (1)

plural cores
often attributive
1
: a central and often foundational part usually distinct from the enveloping part by a difference in nature
the core of the city
: such as
a
: the usually inedible central part of some fruits (such as a pineapple)
especially : the papery or leathery carpels composing the ripened ovary in a pome fruit (such as an apple)
b
: the muscles of the mid-region of the torso
Your core is composed of the muscles that stabilize and move your pelvis, lower back, hips, and trunk.Adele Jackson-Gibson
core muscles/strength
core exercises
c
: the place in a nuclear reactor where fission (see fission entry 1 sense 3) occurs
d
: an arrangement of a course of studies that combines under basic topics material from subjects conventionally separated and aims to provide a common background for all students
core curriculum
e
: the portion of a foundry mold that shapes the interior of a hollow casting
f
: a vertical space (as for elevator shafts, stairways, or plumbing apparatus) in a multistory building
g(1)
: a computer memory consisting of an array of cores strung on fine wires
broadly : the internal memory of a computer
(2)
: a tiny doughnut-shaped piece of magnetic material (such as ferrite) used in computer memories
(3)
: a mass of iron serving to concentrate and intensify the magnetic field resulting from a current in a surrounding coil
h
: the central part of a celestial body (such as the earth or sun) usually having different physical properties from the surrounding parts
i
: a nodule of stone (such as flint or obsidian) from which flakes have been struck for making implements
j
: the conducting wire with its insulation in an electric cable
2
a
: a basic, essential, or enduring part (as of an individual, a class, or an entity)
the staff had a core of experts
the core of her beliefs
b
: the essential meaning : gist
the core of the argument
c
: the inmost or most intimate part
honest to the core
3
: a part (such as a thin cylinder of material) removed from the interior of a mass especially to determine composition

core

2 of 4

verb

cored; coring

transitive verb

: to remove a core (see core entry 1 sense 1a) from
core an apple
corer noun

core

3 of 4

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland
: a group of people

CORE

4 of 4

abbreviation

Congress of Racial Equality

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Distinguishing Between Core and Corps and Corpse and Corp

These words are frequently confused despite their very different applications. Core and corps both rhyme with more. Core can be a noun, verb, or adjective, but is most often used as a noun to refer to the central or most important part of something (“the core of the issue,” “the Earth’s core”) or to the usually inedible central part of a fruit (“an apple core”). Corps has several meanings, all of which refer to some kind of group: “the Marine Corps,” “the press corps.” Its plural form is also spelled corps (“two corps of reporters”) but is pronounced just as cores is. Unlike in corps, The “p” in corpse and corp is pronounced. Corpse refers to a dead body, and especially to the dead body of a human. Corp is an abbreviation for “corporation” and “corporal.” Corp, corps, and corpse all trace back to the Latin word corpus, meaning “body.” The origin of core is obscure.

Examples of core in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Protecting anonymity is at the core of our mission and our pledge to our users. Christian Sutherland-Wong, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024 But at the core of So Long, Marianne are Cohen and Ihlen. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2024 Suicide awareness is at the core of Flores’ message. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 This was years before WhatsApp switched on end-to-end encryption in 2016, and before Signal—now widely considered the most private end-to-end encrypted messaging platform—even existed, Apple quietly led the way with that security feature, baking it into a core piece of the Apple ecosystem. Andy Greenberg Andrew Couts, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024 Trolling either crawler harnesses or crankbaits is a popular ploy, especially when pulled behind in-line planer boards or with lead core line. David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024 But in February, monthly core goods prices rose for the first time since May, climbing a slight 0.1 percent after dropping 0.3 percent in January. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 At the core of every comet is a nucleus comprised of ice and dust. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 But that disclaimer, its phrasing right out of the career politician’s playbook, also distills one of the book’s core tensions: Politics, in the memoir, encroaches on everything else. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
Use these simple instructions: Peel and core an apple, then cut it in half horizontally. Kimberly Stoney, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024 Workers are stripping off brick, punching windows, and coring out two giant vertical doughnut holes to make a pair of central courts that will funnel light and air down into the building’s dark heart. Curbed, 24 Jan. 2024 Internal turbulence causes the gas to become compressed, which quickly leads to the formation of filaments and then cores. Nia Imara, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 Tippett s cored on a power play for his 21st with 1:37 left in the second but Hischier tallied his 18th early in the third for a 5-2 lead. Tom Canavan, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024 If preparing baked apples for a party, plan on one apple per person. Prepare the Apples Wash, dry, and core the apples. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2023 Alternatively, peel and core the tomatoes, then run them through a blender on the lowest speed. Emily Horton, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The Ryzen 5 8500G is a lot different from the 8700G and 8600G, since some of the CPU cores in the Phoenix 2 chips are based on Zen 4c rather than Zen 4. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024 As polarization in society and politics has increased, more executives have burned themselves than gained universal praise when speaking out on issues not core to their business. Peter Vanham, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'core.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, of obscure origin

Verb

Middle English coren, derivative of core core entry 1

Noun (2)

perhaps by respelling of Middle English chore "chorus, company," borrowed from Latin chorus — more at chorus entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1622, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of core was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near core

Cite this Entry

“Core.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/core. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

core

1 of 2 noun
ˈkō(ə)r How to pronounce core (audio)
ˈkȯ(ə)r
1
: a central or most important part
2
: the usually inedible central part of some fruits (as a pineapple or apple)
3
: a part removed from the interior of a mass especially to find out the interior composition or a hidden condition
took a core of rock
4
a
: a mass of iron used to concentrate and strengthen the magnetic field resulting from a current in a surrounding coil
b
: the memory of a computer
5
: the central part of the earth having different properties from those of the surrounding parts
also : the central part of a heavenly body
6
: an arrangement of studies that brings together material from subjects that are usually taught separately
7
: the place in a nuclear reactor where fission takes place

core

2 of 2 verb
cored; coring
: to remove a core from
core an apple
corer noun

Medical Definition

: the central part of a body, mass, or part

More from Merriam-Webster on core

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