as in swellings
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
a nodule on the leaf indicated that a worm had laid eggs there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nodules
These rubbery, firm nodules are called keloids, which are poorly understood skin growths that result from wound healing that goes awry and expands beyond the borders of the original wound.
—
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Plants That Benefit From Being Planted With Beans With the help of bacteria that grow in nodules on their roots, bean plants and their relatives enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air into a form usable by plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Heads with nodules made from rubber, plastic or silicone are better at keeping limescale from forming quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
China is leading a race to collect metal-rich nodules from the ocean floor, resources seen as key to clean energy.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Sinatra had been in a career slump and had also been suffering from a vocal cord hemorrhage and nodules.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Of particular interest are polymetallic nodules – agglomerations, typically smaller than a potato, containing manganese and other metals and found in the silt of the deep ocean floor.
—Coalter G Lathrop, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
The Metals Company has yet to study the impact on the approximately 20 to 30 percent of deep-sea life that depends on nodules.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
The fusion crust nodules became more defined at 250x magnification.
—Heather Barker, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Plants That Benefit From Being Planted With Beans With the help of bacteria that grow in nodules on their roots, bean plants and their relatives enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air into a form usable by plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Heads with nodules made from rubber, plastic or silicone are better at keeping limescale from forming quickly.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
China is leading a race to collect metal-rich nodules from the ocean floor, resources seen as key to clean energy.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
Sinatra had been in a career slump and had also been suffering from a vocal cord hemorrhage and nodules.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Of particular interest are polymetallic nodules – agglomerations, typically smaller than a potato, containing manganese and other metals and found in the silt of the deep ocean floor.
—Coalter G Lathrop, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
The Metals Company has yet to study the impact on the approximately 20 to 30 percent of deep-sea life that depends on nodules.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
The fusion crust nodules became more defined at 250x magnification.
—Heather Barker, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodules
Noun
-
Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Remember, some lumps are preferred for the loftiest results.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
But the lumps weren’t caused by poor hygiene or weight.—
Xitlalic Montelongo,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The price of Gala Games’ founder’s nodes saw similar price increases from a few thousand dollars to nearly $100,000, both on secondary markets and for the dwindling supply sold directly by Gala Games itself.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In The Lawn Part of the legume family, each low-growing clover plant has creeping stems (stolons) that produce roots and shoots at nodes along the stem, which helps the plant to spread.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The touch on his floaters, the variety of angles on his scoop layups, the strong shoulders that absorb bumps.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Cava , Restaurant Brands (Burger King and Tim Hortons), and Shake Shack also saw price target bumps.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There have been discussions of Trump using foundation to conceal bruises in his hands for a few months, and people discussed that in response to Rupar.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
-
When picking your tomatillos, go for a medium size and look for smooth pieces with no cracks or bruises.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sam Butler, who is the mother of a seven-year-old daughter named Florence, was initially diagnosed with giant cell tumors (GCTs) in 2020.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The mRNA technology involves producing individualized vaccines, developed after patients have their pancreatic tumors removed and analyzed.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nodules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodules. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
