node
UK[nəʊd]US[noʊd]
n
A point in a network or diagram at which lines or pathways intersect or branch.
n
A part of a plant stem from which one or more leaves emerge, often forming a slight swelling.
n
A discrete, self-contained unit within a larger structure or system, especially in computing or anatomy.
Etymology
The word 'node' entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed directly from the Latin 'nōdus', meaning a knot. This Latin term itself is traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root ned-, meaning "to bind or tie." The core concept of a knot—a point where things are tied together, intertwined, or thickened—provides the logical foundation for all modern meanings. From the botanical sense of a leaf joint (a knobby point on a stem) to the abstract intersections in a network or data structure, 'node' consistently denotes a critical point of connection, convergence, or localized density within a larger system.
Analysis
The word 'node' is a simplex loanword from Latin. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes within its current English spelling.
Examples
The network engineer identified a faulty node causing the data traffic to slow down.
New leaves sprouted from each node along the stem of the plant.
In the linked list, each node contains data and a reference to the next element.