Nodules

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, rounded lump or swelling often found on biological tissue or geological formations
2. Refers to tiny, knob-like growths or masses that may occur naturally on plants, animals, or rocks
3. A compact, rounded protuberance that appears as a distinct small bump in various natural contexts

Etymology: "Nodules" is the plural of "nodule," which entered English as a learned borrowing from Latin "nodulus," meaning "small knot." That Latin diminutive is built from "nodus," "knot," plus the suffix "-ulus," the same diminutive ending found in words like "globule" and "particle." The physical picture behind the word is therefore literal: a small knot tied into something, which is exactly how a bump in a tissue, a rock, or a plant stem looks. English speakers often read "nodule" as a diminutive of "node," and that analysis is reasonable on the surface, since "node" comes from the same Latin "nodus." The two words are close relatives rather than a simple parent and child, and they arrived in English through the same Latin source. "Nodulus" is also a doublet of "nodule" in the sense that both forms descend from one Latin word, with "nodule" being the version taken in as a learned term.

Synonyms: lumps, bumps, nods