noyau

noyau · noun — A French liqueur made at Poissy in north central France from brandy and flavoured with almonds and the pits of apricots.

Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Etymology

Borrowed from French noyau, from Middle French noyau, from Old French noel, from either Early Medieval Latin nōdellus (“buckle”) or Late Latin nucālis (“nut-like”). Doublet of newel and noil.

noun

A French liqueur made at Poissy in north central France from brandy and flavoured with almonds and the pits of apricots.e.g.“His coffee was excellent, and then came a case of liqueurs, noyau both white and red, etc.” — 1792, James Boswell, in Danziger & Brady (eds.), Boswell: The Great Biographer (Journals 1789–1795), Yale 1989, p. 178
A small nucleus or core group of people or animals.e.g.“Borders are violated by hungering males and famished females, and the ordered animosities of the noyau give way to a saturnalia of sexual adventure.” — 1966 August 26, Richard Ardrey, “Strongest Bond of All - The Space We Own”, in LIFE, page 58:

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

persicot 60% match — A cocktail made of the kernels of apricots, nectarines, etc., with refined spirit. vs noyau →
nocino 58% match — A sticky Italian liqueur made from unripe green walnuts steeped in spirit. vs noyau →
nants 56% match — A type of brandy produced in the Nantes area of France; brandy, spirit. vs noyau →
pastis 55% match — A liqueur containing aniseed. vs noyau →
anisette 52% match — A French alcoholic liqueur flavored with anise vs noyau →
nucule 52% match — A section of a compound fruit; a nutlet; a small nut. vs noyau →
maraschino 52% match — A sweet liqueur made from marasca cherries. vs noyau →
praline 51% match — A confection made from almonds and other nuts, caramelized sugar, and sometimes milk or cream. vs noyau →