cornmeal

American  

[kawrn-meel] / ˈkɔrnˌmil /

noun

1. Also called Indian meal.  coarsely ground, unsifted white or yellow corn used in various boiled, fried, or baked dishes.

2. (in Scotland) oatmeal.

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Etymology

Origin of cornmeal

First recorded in 1740–50; corn ¹ + meal ²

Compare meaning

How does cornmeal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cornmeal vs. corn flour
• cornmeal vs. cornstarch

Explanation

Cornmeal is a coarse kind of flour made from dried kernels of maize. You can sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza pan to keep the crust from sticking, or cook it with water to make polenta. Grind corn into meal and you get cornmeal, a versatile ingredient that's used in staple foods all over the world. In the U.S., particularly the South, cornmeal is used for grits, fritters, hushpuppies, and cornbread. Mexican cuisines add lime and make masa, the base of tortillas and tamales. Corn congee is a common dish made from cornmeal in several East Asian countries, and in Barbados, cornmeal-based cou-cou is part of the national dish.

Example Sentences

I put the splintery salt pork in a pot with some cornmeal, sage and water to make what my new friends call "Pork and Cornmeal Stew" and what I call "Fatty Fat Fat."

From Time Magazine Archive

Cornmeal, Zambia's staple food, long cost just 5 cents a pound.

From Time Magazine Archive

Cornmeal mush: Boil 10 minutes, then steam for 3 hours or more.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson

Cornmeal is a wholesome food; it contains more fat than wheat flour, and less mineral matter.

From Public School Domestic Science by Hoodless, Adelaide

Cornmeal is taken as "polenta," or is mixed with beans and oil, or is made into corn bread.

From Food in War Time by Lusk, Graham