Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
verb (used with object), e·nu·cle·at·ed, e·nu·cle·at·ing.
- Biology. to deprive of the nucleus.
- to remove (a kernel, tumor, eyeball, etc.) from its enveloping cover.
- Archaic. to bring out; disclose; explain.
adjective
- having no nucleus.
verb (ɪˈnjuːklɪˌeɪt) (tr)
- biology to remove the nucleus from (a cell)
- surgery to remove (a tumour or other structure) from its capsule without rupturing it
- archaic to explain or disclose
adjective (ɪˈnjuːklɪɪt, -ˌeɪt)
- (of cells) deprived of their nuclei
1640s, from verb enucleate (1540s), from Latin enucleatus “pure, clean,” past participle of enucleare “to lay open, explain in detail,” literally “to remove the kernel of” (see ex- + nucleus). Mostly figurative in Latin (the notion is of getting at the “core” of some matter); until mid-19c. advances in science and medicine, usually figurative in English.
v.
- To remove something, such as a tumor or an eye, whole and without rupture from an enveloping cover or sac.
- To remove the nucleus of a cell.
adj.
- Lacking a nucleus.