corn
1Also called Indian corn; especially technical and British, maize . 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.
Origin of corn
1Words Nearby corn
Other definitions for corn (2 of 4)
a horny induration or callosity of the epidermis, usually with a central core, formed especially on the toes or feet and caused by undue pressure or friction.
Origin of corn
2Other definitions for -corn (3 of 4)
a combining form meaning “having a horn,” of the kind specified by the initial element: longicorn.
Origin of -corn
3Other definitions for Corn. (4 of 4)
Cornish.
Cornwall.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use corn in a sentence
Despite plentiful rice, corn and wheat, China remains dependent on imported soybeans and is facing a pork shortage.
But, now, with August wrapping up, my mind swirls again to thoughts about how an ear of corn in my home could also help me savor summer for just a while longer.
Do not underestimate this seat in the shape of a corn-on-the-cob by Third Drawer Down, an Australian home goods company.
The corn is then washed and peeled, and left to dry for 12 hours before it’s ground with stones made from volcanic rock.
How Tamales Are Made at One of New York City’s Favorite Puebla Tamal Shops | Eater Video | August 27, 2020 | EaterYou’ve got surplus corn and you’ve got a demand for easy, convenient sweetener in the food sector.
How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Ep. 386 Rebroadcast) | Stephen J. Dubner | August 6, 2020 | Freakonomics
For the uninitiated, the film is set on a future Earth whose crops (save corn) have been wiped out by a mysterious blight.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Breaks Down ‘Interstellar’: Black Holes, Time Dilations, and Massive Waves | Marlow Stern | November 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI certainly found it very helpful when I realized we were going to have to grow our own corn.
Christopher Nolan Uncut: On ‘Interstellar,’ Ben Affleck’s Batman, and the Future of Mankind | Marlow Stern | November 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat must have been some corn for her to remember it 50 years later!
Hilbert was a flashy man who helicoptered five miles daily over corn fields to and from the office.
He is perfectly capable of introducing a bill requiring all cars to run on corn stalks instead of gasoline.
The man with the automobile, the corn-cure, and the baby grew to be legendary in the villages of Provence.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeI should judge that a peck of corn is about the average product of a day's work through all this region.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThe Vine appears at intervals, but is not general through this region: Indian corn is also rare, and appears in small patches.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThen, kindly and gently, the boy took Squinty over to the place where the corn crib was built on to the barn.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumIf he has made up his mind that I'm stealing corn nothing I could say would change his opinion.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott Bailey
British Dictionary definitions for corn (1 of 2)
/ (kɔːn) /
British
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
Also called: Indian corn British equivalent: maize
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 (def. 1), popcorn (def. 1)
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, or dialect any hard particle or grain
to feed (animals) with corn, esp oats
to preserve in brine
to salt
to plant corn on
Origin of corn
1British Dictionary definitions for corn (2 of 2)
/ (kɔːn) /
a hardening or thickening of the skin around a central point in the foot, caused by pressure or friction
tread on someone's corns British informal to offend or hurt someone by touching on a sensitive subject or encroaching on his privileges
Origin of corn
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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