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núcleo

nucleus

noun NOO-kleh-oh Less Common

Origin: From Latin nucleus, a small nut, kernel.

Also means

core, center

Usage Note

Núcleo is used in physics (atomic nucleus), biology (cell nucleus), and figuratively for the core of a group or idea (núcleo familiar, 'family unit'; núcleo central del problema, 'core of the problem'). The accent marks the antepenultimate stress (esdrújula). The adjective is nuclear.

Examples

"El núcleo del problema es la falta de comunicación."

Natural Translation

The core of the problem is the lack of communication.

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