Nucleuses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The central part of a cell containing genetic material and controlling cell activities
2. The core of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons, responsible for the element's identity and mass
3. A cluster or group of items that serve as a focal point or central component in a broader context

Etymology: "Nucleuses" is simply the alternative plural of "nucleus," the Latin word for a kernel, specifically the diminutive of "nux," meaning "nut." The Latin noun gave English a scientific term in the 1600s, when "nucleus" was used for the core of anything, including the kernel of a fruit or the central part of a comet. Its use for the central body of a cell came much later, in the 1830s, when the botanist Robert Brown described a distinct structure inside plant cells that he called the nucleus, a name that fit its position at the heart of the cell. Both "nucleuses" and "nuclei" are accepted English plurals. "Nuclei" follows the Latin pattern and is the more common form in scientific writing, while "nucleuses" is the anglicized version that treats the word like a regular English noun. Dictionaries list both, and the choice is largely a matter of style.

Synonyms: nuclei, cores, centers, kernels, cores

Antonyms: exteriors, surfaces, shells, outsides, peripheries