node

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin nodus knot, node; akin to Middle Irish naidm bond Date: 15th century 1. a. a pathological swelling or enlargement (as of a rheumatic joint) b. a discrete mass of one kind of tissue enclosed in tissue of a different kind 2. an entangling complication (as in a drama) ; predicament 3. either of the two points where the orbit of a planet or comet intersects the ecliptic; also either of the points at which the orbit of an earth satellite crosses the plane of the equator 4. a. a point, line, or surface of a vibrating body or system that is free or relatively free from vibratory motion b. a point at which a wave has an amplitude of zero 5. a. a point at which subsidiary parts originate or center b. a point on a stem at which a leaf or leaves are inserted c. a point at which a curve intersects itself in such a manner that the branches have different tangents d. vertex 1b