"kernels" in the noun sense

1. kernel, meat

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"

2. kernel

a single whole grain of a cereal

"a kernel of corn"

3. kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty

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"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

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