the central part of a fleshy fruit, containing the seeds.

the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything.

Also called magnetic core. Electricity . the piece of iron, bundle of iron wires, or other ferrous material forming the central or inner portion in an electromagnet, induction coil, transformer, or the like.

(in mining, geology, etc.) a cylindrical sample of earth, mineral, or rock extracted from the ground by means of a corer so that the strata are undisturbed in the sample.

the inside wood of a tree.

Anthropology . a lump of stone, as flint, from which prehistoric humans struck flakes in order to make tools. Compare flake tool .

Carpentry .

a thickness of wood forming a base for a veneer.

a wooden construction, as in a door, forming a backing for veneers.

Engineering . kern 2 .

Metallurgy .

a thickness of base metal beneath a cladding.

the softer interior of a piece of casehardened metal.

a specially formed refractory object inserted into a mold to produce cavities or depressions in the casting that cannot be readily formed on the pattern.

Geology . the central portion of the earth, having a radius of about 2100 mi. (3379 km) and believed to be composed mainly of iron and nickel in a molten state. Compare crust ( def. 6 ) , mantle ( def. 3 ) .

Also called reactor core. Physics . the region in a reactor that contains its fissionable material.

Also called magnetic core. Computers . a small ring or loop of ferromagnetic material with two states of polarization that can be changed by changing the direction of the current applied in wires wound around the ring, used to store one bit of information or to perform switching or logical functions.

Ropemaking . heart ( def. 16 ) .

Phonetics . the final segment of a syllable beginning with the vowel and including any following consonants; the nucleus plus the coda. Compare onset ( def. 3 ) .

to remove the core of (fruit).

to cut from the central part.

to remove (a cylindrical sample) from the interior, as of the earth or a tree trunk

to core the ocean bottom.

to form a cavity in (a molded object) by placing a core, as of sand, in the mold before pouring.

noun

covering , exterior , exteriority , outside , perimeter , surface

noun

amount , base , basis , body , bottom line , bulk , burden , consequence , corpus , crux , essence , focus , foundation , heart , import , importance , kernel , main idea , mass , meat * , meat and potatoes * , middle , midpoint , midst , nitty gritty , nub , nucleus , origin , pith , pivot , purport , quick , root , significance , staple , substance , thrust , upshot , bottom , hub , gist , marrow , meat , quintessence , soul , spirit , stuff , center , cob , guts , nodule