nodes

noun

1. A knot, knob, protuberance or swelling.
2. The point where the orbit of a planet, as viewed from the Sun, intersects the ecliptic. The ascending and descending nodes refer respectively to the points where the planet moves from South to North and N to S; their respective symbols are ☊ and ☋.
3. A leaf node.
4. A computer or other device attached to a network.