kernel

UK: /ˈkɜː^rn^əl/ US: /ˈkɝnəl/ ,(kûr′nl)

Inflections of 'kernel' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

When both "l" and "ll" forms exist, spellings with a double "l" are correct, but rare, in US English, while those with a single "l" are not correct in UK English.

kernels

v 3rd person singular

kernelling

v pres p (Mainly UK)

kerneling

v pres p (US)

kernelled

v past (Mainly UK)

kerneled

v past (US)

kernelled

v past p (Mainly UK)

kerneled

v past p (US)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ker•nel /ˈkɜrnəl/   n., v., -neled, -nel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -nelled, -nel•ling. 
n. [countable]

1. Botany the soft part in the shell of a nut or the stone of a fruit that can usually be eaten.
2. an essential part;
   germ:
   There was hardly a kernel of truth in what you told him.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ker•nel  (kûr′nl), n., v., -neled, -nel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -nelled, -nel•ling. 
n. 

1. Botany the softer, usually edible part contained in the shell of a nut or the stone of a fruit.
2. Botany the body of a seed within its husk or integuments.
3. Botany a whole seed grain, as of wheat or corn.
4. Dialect Terms [South Atlantic States.] the pit or seed of a peach, cherry, plum, etc.
5. the central or most important part of anything;
   essence;
   gist;
   core:
   His leadership is the kernel of the organization.
6. Mathematics the set of elements that a given function from one set to a second set maps into the identity of the second set.
7. Chemistry Also called rumpf. [Physical Chem.] the remainder of an atom after the valence electrons have been removed.

v.t. 

8. to enclose as a kernel.

• Middle English kirnel, Old English cyrnel, diminutive of corn seed, corn¹ bef. 1000

ker′nel•less, adj. 
ker′nel•ly, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

kernel / ˈkɜːn^əl/ noun

1. the edible central part of a seed, nut, or fruit within the shell or stone
2. the grain of a cereal, esp wheat, consisting of the seed in a hard husk
3. the central or essential part of something

Etymology: Old English cyrnel a little seed, from corn seed; see corn¹

ˈkernel-less adjective