especially technical and British, maize. Also called Indian corn. a tall cereal plant, Zea mays, cultivated in many varieties, having a jointed, solid stem and bearing the grain, seeds, or kernels on large ears.
the grain, seeds, or kernels of this plant, used for human food or for fodder.
the ears of this plant.
the edible seed of certain other cereal plants, especially wheat in England and oats in Scotland.
the plants themselves.
Skiing. corn snow.
Informal. old-fashioned, trite, or mawkishly sentimental material, as a joke, a story, or music.
to preserve and season with salt in grains.
to preserve and season with brine.
to granulate, as gunpowder.
to plant (land) with corn.
to feed with corn.
Cornish.
Cornwall.
any of various cereal plants, esp the predominant crop of a region, such as wheat in England and oats in Scotland and Ireland
the seeds of such plants, esp after harvesting
a single seed of such plants; a grain
British equivalent: maize. Also called: Indian corn.
a tall annual grass, Zea mays, cultivated for its yellow edible grains, which develop on a spike
the grain of this plant, used for food, fodder, and as a source of oil See also sweet corn popcorn
the plants producing these kinds of grain considered as a growing crop
spring corn
( in combination )
a cornfield
short for corn whisky
slang an idea, song, etc, regarded as banal or sentimental
archaic any hard particle or grain
to feed (animals) with corn, esp oats
to preserve in brine
to salt
to plant corn on
a hardening or thickening of the skin around a central point in the foot, caused by pressure or friction
informal to offend or hurt someone by touching on a sensitive subject or encroaching on his privileges
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch koren, Old Norse korn, German Korn, Gothic kaúrn; akin to Russian zernó, Latin grānum grain
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English corn(e), from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin cornū horn (hence a horny hardening of the cuticle); see origin at cornu
Representing Latin -cornis horned
Corn is a plant that grows long ears of kernels on tall, grass-like stalks. Many large farms grow fields of corn each year, for human or animals to eat, or to make corn-based products. Corn is an important crop in North America, since many animals raised for meat eat corn, not to mention the corn that people consume. In addition, products like high fructose corn syrup and ethanol fuel are made from corn. Many people also love to eat corn on the cob slathered with butter in the summer time. In many parts of the world, it's called maize instead of corn, which is an Old English word meaning "grain."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Serve it with warm corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro and a flavorful salsa, and you have the makings of an outdoor taco night that largely takes care of itself.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
In the original 2009 paper, the concept was that any food which required some form of cooking—including bread, cured sausages, corn chips, etc.—would be considered an “ultra” processed food product.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
Smithfield was established as a market in 1848 on the site of the old trading place for corn and hide.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The outlook for U.S. ending stocks was also adjusted for 2026, pegging corn at 1.79 billion bushels, soybeans at 310 million bushels, and wheat at 722 million bushels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
I could tell she saw me watching from a distance as Bright and I chewed roasted corn in silence, sitting in our usual spot on the wall under the mango tree.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
The result is the $31,000,000 American Rediscount Corn., which was to start business in Manhattan last week, after the method of the Federal Reserve banks.
From Time Magazine Archive
Some 1929 farm facts: Corn. "2,528,000,000 bushels produced, 308,000,000 less than in 1928 . . . smaller acreage . . . reduced yields."
From Time Magazine Archive
These Ears of Corn. gathered and rubbed in my hands upon broken Sabbaths, I offer first to my Wife, and then to my other Friends.
From Unspoken Sermons Series I., II., and II. by MacDonald, George
Talk like the vulgar sort of market men That come to gather money for their Corn. 1st Henry VI, act iii, sc.
From The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare by Ellacombe, Henry Nicholson
How to Winnow Corn. 1st Method.—Get some corn.
From Mr. Punch's Country Life by Hammerton, J. A. (John Alexander)
It’s built around the idea of a tale of two corns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024
The emperor wore his hat with the corns parallel to shoulders - known as "en bataille" - whereas most of his officers wore their hats perpendicular to the shoulders.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2023
As for nutrition, 19 candy corns amount to about 140 calories and 28 grams of sugar.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2023
Calluses and corns are thickened areas of skin that form on toes or the soles of feet as a result of pressure, often from poorly fitting shoes.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 18, 2022
The tooth looked like one of those Halloween candy corns that had been boiled in sewage.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
The corned beef sandwich is one of my personal favorites; it has a certain nostalgia for me.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2024
It is a far cry from the infamous tour to India in 1993, when the England squad survived on tinned corned beef and naan bread.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2024
I might have a corned beef sandwich at one of the deli spots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
On the menu will be corned beef and cabbage and green cookies shaped like shamrocks.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2023
His grandma had only four Sunday dinners in her repertoire—chicken- fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, pot roast, and corned beef—but they were all good.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
Corned beef, on the other hand, is salt cured — hence the corning process.
From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2022
Hybrid striped bass are fair with spinners, and highly shaky rattle traps corning bait in shallow water.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 21, 2020
You need only start by corning your own beef.
From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2017
Over the hot mike I warned Brett: "There's a lead slug corning over your left shoulder."
From Time Magazine Archive
She could feel the power of the great creature corning off him like waves of heat “I must work till sunset,” he said.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
