core.
In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things.
Meaning & usage
In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things. The central part of a fruit, containing the kernels or seeds.
the core of an apple or quince
In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things. The heart or inner part of a physical thing.
In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things. The anatomical core, muscles which bridge abdomen and thorax.
In general usage, an essential part of a thing surrounded by other essential things. The center or inner part of a space or area.
The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence.
the core of a subject
The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence. A technical term for classification of things denoting those parts of a category that are most easily or most likely understood as within it. The main and most diverse monophyletic group within a clade or taxonomic group.
The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence. A technical term for classification of things denoting those parts of a category that are most easily or most likely understood as within it. The set of feasible allocations that cannot be improved upon by a subset (a coalition) of the economy's agents.
The most important part of a thing or aggregate of things wherever located and whether of any determinate location at all; the essence. A thematic aesthetic; objects related to a specific topic
Photographs of cottagecore focuses on countrysides or forests.
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: The portion of a mold that creates a cavity or impression within the part (casting or molded part) or that makes a hole in or through the part.
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: Ellipsis of core memory (“magnetic data storage”).
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: An individual computer processor, in the sense when several processors (called cores or CPU cores) are plugged together in one single integrated circuit to work as one (called a multi-core processor).
I wanted to play a particular computer game, which required I buy a new computer, so while the game said it needed at least a dual-core processor, I wanted my computer to be a bit ahead of the curve, so I bought a quad-core.
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: The material between surface materials in a structured composite sandwich material.
a floor panel with a Nomex honeycomb core
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: The inner part of a nuclear reactor, in which the nuclear reaction takes place.
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: The central fissile portion of a fission weapon.
In a hollow-core design, neutrons escape from the core more readily, allowing more fissile material to be used (and thus allowing for a greater yield) while still keeping the core subcritical prior to detonation.
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: A piece of ferromagnetic material (e.g., soft iron), inside the windings of an electromagnet, that channels the magnetic field.
particular parts of technical instruments or machines essential in function: A hollow cylindrical piece of cardboard around which a web of paper or plastic is wound.
Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the general sense above. A tiny sample of organic material obtained by means of a fine-needle biopsy.
Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the general sense above. The bony process which forms the central axis of the horns in many animals.
Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the general sense above. A disorder of sheep caused by worms in the liver.
Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the general sense above. The central part of a protein's structure, consisting mostly of hydrophobic amino acids.
Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the general sense above. A cylindrical sample of rock or other materials obtained by core drilling.
Hence particular parts of a subject studied or examined by technical operations, likened by position and practical or structural robustness to kernels, cores in the general sense above. An atomic nucleus plus inner electrons (i.e., an atom, except for its valence electrons).
Where this word comes from
From Middle English core, kore, coor (“apple-core, pith”), of obscure and uncertain origin. Possibly of native English origin, from Old English *cor, related to Old English *coruc, *corc (diminutive) (> Middle English cork, crok (“core of an apple or other fruit, heart of an onion”)) and Old English corn (“seed", also "grain”); or alternatively perhaps from Old French cuer (“heart”), from Latin cor (“heart”); or from Old French cors (“body”), from Latin corpus (“body”). Compare also Middle English colk, coke, coll (“the heart or centre of an apple or onion, core”), Dutch kern (“core”), German Kern (“core”). See also heart, corpse. Compare typologically Russian серде́чник (serdéčnik), сердцеви́на (serdcevína)) (akin to се́рдце (sérdce), cognate with heart, Latin cor).
Forming the most important or essential part.
Deeply and authentically involved in the culture surrounding the sport.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English core, kore, coor (“apple-core, pith”), of obscure and uncertain origin. Possibly of native English origin, from Old English *cor, related to Old English *coruc, *corc (diminutive) (> Middle English cork, crok (“core of an apple or other fruit, heart of an onion”)) and Old English corn (“seed", also "grain”); or alternatively perhaps from Old French cuer (“heart”), from Latin cor (“heart”); or from Old French cors (“body”), from Latin corpus (“body”). Compare also Middle English colk, coke, coll (“the heart or centre of an apple or onion, core”), Dutch kern (“core”), German Kern (“core”). See also heart, corpse. Compare typologically Russian серде́чник (serdéčnik), сердцеви́на (serdcevína)) (akin to се́рдце (sérdce), cognate with heart, Latin cor).
To remove the core of an apple or other fruit.
To cut or drill through the core of (something).
To extract a sample with a drill.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English core, kore, coor (“apple-core, pith”), of obscure and uncertain origin. Possibly of native English origin, from Old English *cor, related to Old English *coruc, *corc (diminutive) (> Middle English cork, crok (“core of an apple or other fruit, heart of an onion”)) and Old English corn (“seed", also "grain”); or alternatively perhaps from Old French cuer (“heart”), from Latin cor (“heart”); or from Old French cors (“body”), from Latin corpus (“body”). Compare also Middle English colk, coke, coll (“the heart or centre of an apple or onion, core”), Dutch kern (“core”), German Kern (“core”). See also heart, corpse. Compare typologically Russian серде́чник (serdéčnik), сердцеви́на (serdcevína)) (akin to се́рдце (sérdce), cognate with heart, Latin cor).
A body of individuals; an assemblage.
Where this word comes from
See corps.
A miner's underground working time or shift.
Where this word comes from
See chore.
A deposit paid by the purchaser of a rebuilt part, to be refunded on return of a used, rebuildable part, or the returned rebuildable part itself.
Where this word comes from
Possibly an acronym for cash on return.
An aesthetic ending in the suffix -core, such as cottagecore, normcore, etc.
Where this word comes from
From -core, ultimately from Etymology 1.
Alternative form of cor: a former Hebrew and Phoenician unit of volume.
Where this word comes from
From Biblical Hebrew כֹּר (kōr).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.