some situation or event that is thought about; "he kept drifting off the topic"; "he had been thinking about the subject for several years"; "it is a matter for the police"
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"
a single whole grain of a cereal; "a kernel of corn"
the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone; "black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell"
a small margin; "the president was not humbled by his narrow margin of victory"; "the landslide he had in the electoral college obscured the narrowness of a victory based on just 43% of the popular vote"
a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return; "sonar is an acronym for sound navigation ranging"; "asdic is an acronym for antisubmarine detection investigation committee"
having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue; "the scientist corresponds with colleagues in order to learn about matters relevant to her own research"