Nucleus Meaning
/ˈnjuː.kli.əs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe core, central part of something, around which other elements are assembled.
nounAn initial part or version that will receive additions.
Sentence Examples
You two are the nucleus of the team.
A great deal of energy is locked up in the nucleus.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of an atom contains protons and neutrons, which determine its identity.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the cell contains most of the genetic material in the form of chromosomes.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *knuks Latin nux Latin nucleuslbor. English nucleus 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 British scientist Michael Faraday in 1844 in a theoretical meaning.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1968, Norton S. Ginsburg, “T’AI-PEI”, in Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 21, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 627, column 2:
"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."
— 1972, Carol A. Nemeyer, Scholarly Reprint Publishing in the United States, New York, N.Y.: R. R. Bowker Co., →ISBN, page 49:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of an atom contains protons and neutrons, which determine its identity.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of the cell contains most of the genetic material in the form of chromosomes.