1. the soft, edible part inside a nut or seed
2. individual grains of corn or other cereal crops
3. the central or most important parts of something
Usage: figurative

Examples

• She cracked the walnuts to get to the kernels inside.
• The popcorn kernels popped loudly in the microwave.
• Corn kernels scattered across the kitchen floor.
• The kernels of truth in his story were hard to find.
• These ideas contain the kernels of a great plan.
• The operating system kernels manage memory and processes.
• Fresh kernels of corn taste sweet and crunchy.