Definition of: node

(nōd) noun
1. A knot or knob; swelling.
2. Bot. The joint or knob on the stem of a plant, from which leaves, buds, or other structures grow.
3. Math. A point at which a curve cuts or crosses itself.
4. Astron. Either of the two points at which the intersection of the planes of two orbits, especially those of a satellite and its primary, pierces the celestial sphere; specifically, the point where the orbit of a heavenly body intersects the ecliptic. The node encountered by a body in its northward passage is called its ascending node; in its southward passage, the descending or setting node.
5. Anat. A firm, flattened tumor on a bone, tendon, or the like.
6. The plot of a story or drama.
7. Physics A stationary point, line, or plane in a vibrating body where the amplitude of a wave is virtually zero. [<L nodus knot]
—no·dal (nōd′l) adjective