core
core
(kôr, kōr) noun
1.
The hard or fibrous central part of certain fruits, such as the apple or pear, containing the seeds.
2.
The central or innermost part: the hard elastic core of a baseball; a rod with a hollow core.
3.
The basic or most important part; the essence: a small core of dedicated supporters; the core of the problem. See synonyms at substance.
4.
A set of subjects or courses that make up a required portion of a curriculum.
5.
Electricity. A soft iron rod in a coil or transformer that provides a path for and intensifies the magnetic field produced by the windings.
6. a. Computer Science. A memory, especially one consisting of a series of tiny doughnut-shaped masses of magnetic material. Also called core memory. b. One of the magnetic doughnut-shaped masses that make up such a memory. Also called magnetic core.
7. The central portion of Earth below the mantle, beginning at a depth of about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) and probably consisting of iron and nickel. It is made up of a liquid outer core and a solid inner core.
8. A mass of dry sand placed within a mold to provide openings or shape to a casting.
9. The part of a nuclear reactor where fission occurs.
10. A cylindrical mass drilled vertically into the earth and removed from it to determine composition or presence of oil or gas.
11. The base, usually of soft or inferior wood, to which veneer woods are glued.
verb
, transitive
cored, coring, cores
To remove the core of: core apples.
[Middle English.]