nodule
noun
nod·ule
ˈnä-(ˌ)jül 
: a small mass of rounded or irregular shape: such as
a
: a small rounded lump of a mineral or mineral aggregate
b
: a swelling on a leguminous root that contains symbiotic bacteria
c
: a small abnormal knobby bodily protuberance (such as a tumorous growth or a calcification near an arthritic joint)
Examples of nodule in a Sentence
The examination revealed a nodule on his lung.
a nodule on the leaf indicated that a worm had laid eggs there
Recent Examples on the Web
These nodules possess an electrical charge that enables them to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, effectively producing oxygen in an environment previously thought incapable of such activity.
—
Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Loke is focused on harvesting critical minerals from the sea floor, particularly manganese nodules.
—Greg Autry, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
What those expeditions turned up was not just weird life but a whole weird system in which the mineral-containing rocks, which the scientists call nodules, might be generating some of the oxygen that the habitat’s animals are breathing.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2024
What the researchers think is happening is that nodules — and the metals in them — are working like a battery, at a chemical level.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nodule 
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Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
Loke is focused on harvesting critical minerals from the sea floor, particularly manganese nodules.
—Greg Autry, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
What those expeditions turned up was not just weird life but a whole weird system in which the mineral-containing rocks, which the scientists call nodules, might be generating some of the oxygen that the habitat’s animals are breathing.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2024
What the researchers think is happening is that nodules — and the metals in them — are working like a battery, at a chemical level.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nodule
Dictionary Entries Near nodule
Cite this Entry
“Nodule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nodule. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nodule
noun
nod·ule
ˈnäj-(ˌ)ü(ə)l
1
: a small rounded mass
manganese nodules on the ocean floor
2
: a swelling on the root of a plant of the legume family that contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria
nodular
adjective
ˈnäj-ə-lər
Medical Definition
nodule
noun
nod·ule
ˈnäj-(ˌ)ü(ə)l
: a small mass of rounded or irregular shape: as
a
: a small abnormal knobby bodily protuberance (as a tumorous growth or a calcification near an arthritic joint)
b
: the nodulus of the cerebellum
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