KERN'EL, noun 1. The edible substance contained in the shell of a nut. 2. Any thing included in a shell, husk or integument; a grain or corn; as a kernel of wheat or oats. 3. The seed of pulpy fruit; as the kernel of an apple. 4. The central part of any thing; a small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus. 5. A hard concretion in the flesh. KERN'EL, verb intransitive To harden or ripen into kernels; as the seeds of plants.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI