nucleus
See also: nucléus
English edit
Etymology edit
Learned borrowing from Latin nucleus (“kernel, core”). The earliest uses refer to the head of a comet and the kernel of a seed, both recorded in Lexicon Technicum in 1704. The sense in atomic physics was coined by English scientist Michael Faraday in 1844 in a theoretical meaning.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈnjuː.kli.əs/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈnuː.kli.əs/
Audio (US) (file)
Noun edit
nucleus (plural nuclei or nucleuses)
- The core, central part of something, around which other elements are assembled.
- 1968, Norton S. Ginsburg, “T’AI-PEI”, in Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 21, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 627, column 2:
- Situated in the centre of the largest agricultural basin in northern Formosa, T’ai-pei (population in 1964 was estimated to be 1,117,000) forms the nucleus of a major industrial area. The T’ai-pei industrial complex includes light and heavy industies within the urbanized area and also in several industrial suburbs, including Pan-ch’iao and Nan-chiang.
- An initial part or version that will receive additions.
- This collection will form the nucleus of a new library.
- 1972, Carol A. Nemeyer, Scholarly Reprint Publishing in the United States, New York, N.Y.: R. R. Bowker Co., →ISBN, page 49:
- This publishing project and the experience Power gained from wartime activities formed the nucleus for the development of the giant enterprise that today is University Microfilms, subsidiary of the Xerox Education Group, Xerox Corporation.
- (chemistry, physics) The massive, positively charged central part of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons.
- (cytology) A large membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells which contains genetic material.
- (neuroanatomy) A ganglion, cluster of many neuronal bodies where synapsing occurs.
- (phonetics, phonology) The central part of a syllable, most commonly a vowel.
Derived terms edit
- active galactic nucleus
- atomic nucleus
- Borromean nucleus
- caudate nucleus
- caudate nucleus
- cell nucleus
- dentate nucleus
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus
- emboliform nucleus
- geniculate nucleus
- halo nucleus
- ice nucleus
- intermediolateral nucleus
- lateral geniculate nucleus
- lenticular nucleus
- lentiform nucleus
- medial geniculate nucleus
- nucle-
- nuclear
- nuclease
- nucleate, anucleate
- nucleic acid
- nuclein
- nucleo-
- nucleolar
- nucleon
- nucleotide
- nucleus accumbens
- nucleus accumbens
- nucleus ambiguus
- nucleus cowry, nucleus cowrie
- nucleus globosus
- nucleus pulposus
- nucleus ruber
- nuclide
- planetary nebula nucleus
- red nucleus
- retrotrapezoid nucleus
- sentence nucleus
- syllable nucleus
- vestibular nucleus
Translations edit
core, central part of something
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initial part which will receive additions
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physics: massive, positively charged core of an atom
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cytology: large organelle found in cells
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neuroanatomy: cluster of many neuronal bodies
linguistics: centre of a syllable
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Anagrams edit
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
Learned borrowing from Latin nucleus (“kernel, core”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
nucleus m (plural nucleussen or nuclei, diminutive nucleusje n)
Synonyms edit
Related terms edit
Latin edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
A diminutive of nux (“nut”), with an irregular change of gender from feminine to masculine.
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈnu.kle.us/, [ˈnʊkɫ̪eʊs̠] or IPA(key): /ˈnuk.le.us/, [ˈnʊkɫ̪eʊs̠]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈnu.kle.us/, [ˈnuːkleus] or IPA(key): /ˈnuk.le.us/, [ˈnukleus]
Noun edit
nucleus m (genitive nucleī); second declension
Declension edit
Second-declension noun.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | nucleus | nucleī |
Genitive | nucleī | nucleōrum |
Dative | nucleō | nucleīs |
Accusative | nucleum | nucleōs |
Ablative | nucleō | nucleīs |
Vocative | nuclee | nucleī |
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
- Derived:
- Borrowed:
References edit
- “nū̆clĕus (nŭcŭlĕus)”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- nŭclĕus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 1,043/1.
- “nucleus” on page 1,199 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)