Corn

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /kɔːn/
• US IPA: /kɔɹn/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)n

From Middle English corn, from Old English corn, from Proto-Germanic *kurną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm ("grain; worn-down"), neuter participle of Proto-Indo-European *ǵer- ("to wear down"), or a substantivized form of *ǵr̥h₂-nós ("matured, grown old"), from *ǵerh₂- ("grow old, mature"). Cognate with Dutch koren, Low German Koorn, German Korn, Danish/Norwegian/Swedish korn; see also Russian зерно (zerno), Czech zrno, Latin grānum, Lithuanian žirnis, Persian خرمن, and English grain.

Full definition of corn

Noun

1. (British, uncountable) The main cereal plant grown for its grain in a given region, such as oats in parts of Scotland and Ireland, and wheat or barley in England and Wales.
• Among the divinities that dwelt on Mount Olympus, none was more friendly to the husbandman than Demeter, goddess of corn.
• However much the individual manufacturer might give the rein to his old lust for gain, the spokesmen and political leaders of the manufacturing class ordered a change of front and of speech towards the workpeople. They had entered upon the contest for the repeal of the Corn Laws, and needed the workers to help them to victory. They promised therefore, not only a double-sized loaf of bread, but the enactment of the Ten Hours' Bill in the Free-trade millennium.
• I found that we had nearly a hundred bushels of corn, including wheat, maize, and barley, to add to our store.
2. (US, Canada, Australia, uncountable) Maize, a grain crop of the species Zea mays.
• The planting or sowing of maize, exclusively called corn, was just accomplished on the Town Hill, when I reached it.
3. A grain or seed, especially of a cereal crop.He paid her the nominal fee of two corns of barley.
4. A small, hard particle.
• Bishop Hall:corn of sand
• Beaumont and Fletcher:a corn of powder

Derived terms

Verb

1. (US, Canada) To granulate; to form a substance into grains.to corn gunpowder
2. (US, Canada) To preserve using coarse salt, e.g. corned beef
3. (US, Canada) To provide with corn (typically maize; or, in Scotland, oats) for feed.Corn the horses.
4. (transitive) To render intoxicated.ale strong enough to corn one

From Old French corn (modern French cor).

Noun

1. A type of callus, usually on the feet or hands.
• ShakespeareWelcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes
  Unplagued with corns, will have a bout with you.

Synonyms

• clavus

Hyponyms

• callus

This use was first used in 1932, as corny, something appealing to country folk.

Noun

1. (US, Canada) Something (e.g. acting, humour, music, or writing) which is deemed old-fashioned or intended to induce emotion.

• 1975, Tschirlie, Backpacker magazine,He had a sharp wit, true enough, but also a good, healthy mountaineer's love of pure corn, the slapstick stuff, the in-jokes that get funnier with every repetition and never amuse anybody who wasn't there.
• 1986, Linda Martin and Kerry Segrave, Women in Comedy‎,There were lots of jokes on the show and they were pure corn, but the audience didn't mind.
• 2007, Bob L. Cox, Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman: an East Tennessee old-time music pioneer and his musical family,The bulk of this humor was pure corn, but as hillbilly material it was meant to be that way.

Derived terms

• cornball
• corny

Noun

1. (uncountable) short for corn snow. A type of granular snow formed by repeated melting and re-freezing, often in mountain spring conditions.