1
: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
… as brown in hue as hazelnuts, and sweeter than the kernels.—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: a whole seed of a cereal
a kernel of corn
3
: a central or essential part : germ
like many stereotypes … this one too contains some kernels of truth—S. M. Lyman
S. M. Lyman4
chiefly dialectal
: a fruit seed
5
mathematics
: a subset of the elements of one set (such as a group) that a function (such as a homomorphism) maps onto an identity element of another set
Examples of kernel in a Sentence
There's not a kernel of truth in what they say.
the kernel of your argument seems to be the inevitability of human migration into space
Recent Examples on the Web
The initial test went well: the team successfully popped a single kernel wrapped in aluminum foil with a ten-watt laser.
—ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
Indian atta is stone-ground, meaning the wheat kernels are crushed between millstones into a fine powder.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2025
Add dollops of goat cheese, and sprinkle with sunflower kernels.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2025
The Linux kernel vulnerability prompted America’s cyber defense agency to mandate all federal employees to update their phones by March 25 or stop using them.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kernel
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.
ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
Indian atta is stone-ground, meaning the wheat kernels are crushed between millstones into a fine powder.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2025
Add dollops of goat cheese, and sprinkle with sunflower kernels.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2025
The Linux kernel vulnerability prompted America’s cyber defense agency to mandate all federal employees to update their phones by March 25 or stop using them.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kernel
Cite this Entry
“Kernel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kernel. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kernel
noun
ker·nel
ˈkərn-ᵊl 
1
a
: the inner softer part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut
b
: a whole grain or seed of a cereal (as wheat or corn)
2
: a central or basic part
a kernel of truth in what they say
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share