kernel vs quintessence

kernel and quintessence both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
kernel	Yes	No	No	No
quintessence	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, quintessence is a hyponym of kernel; that is, quintessence is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than kernel:

kernel: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
quintessence: the purest and most concentrated essence of something

Other hyponyms of kernel include bare bones, hypostasis, haecceity, quiddity, stuff.

kernel (noun)	quintessence (noun)
the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience	the purest and most concentrated essence of something
a single whole grain of a cereal	the most typical example or representative of a type
the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone	the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies