corn

[ kawrn ]

/ kɔrn /

Save This Word!

noun

Also 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.

sweet corn.

corn whiskey.

Skiing. corn snow.

Informal. old-fashioned, trite, or mawkishly sentimental material, as a joke, a story, or music.

verb (used with object)

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.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of corn

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

Words nearby corn

corm, Cormack, cormel, cormophyte, cormorant, corn, cornaceous, cornball, corn beef, Corn Belt, corn borer

Other definitions for corn (2 of 4)

corn²

[ kawrn ]

/ kɔrn /

noun Pathology.

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

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

Other definitions for corn (3 of 4)

-corn

a combining form meaning “having a horn,” of the kind specified by the initial element: longicorn.

Origin of -corn

Representing Latin -cornis horned

Other definitions for corn (4 of 4)

Corn.

abbreviation

Cornish.

Cornwall.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

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.
Why Is China Cracking Down on Food Waste?|Daniel Malloy|September 3, 2020|Ozy
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.
Summer Is Forever With This Corn-on-the-Cob Chair|Emma Orlow|August 28, 2020|Eater
Do not underestimate this seat in the shape of a corn-on-the-cob by Third Drawer Down, an Australian home goods company.
Summer Is Forever With This Corn-on-the-Cob Chair|Emma Orlow|August 28, 2020|Eater
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|Eater

You’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|DAILY BEAST
I 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|DAILY BEAST
That must have been some corn for her to remember it 50 years later!
Joan Rivers: The Playboy Bunnies Weren’t Sluts!|Patty Farmer|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hilbert was a flashy man who helicoptered five miles daily over corn fields to and from the office.
The Very Rich Should Divorce Very Quietly|Vicky Ward|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is perfectly capable of introducing a bill requiring all cars to run on corn stalks instead of gasoline.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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. Locke
I 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 Greeley
The 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 Greeley
Then, 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 Barnum
If 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)

corn¹

/ (kɔːn) /

noun

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 oilSee also sweet corn (def. 1), popcorn (def. 1)

the plants producing these kinds of grain considered as a growing cropspring 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

verb (tr)

to feed (animals) with corn, esp oats

to preserve in brine
to salt

to plant corn on

Word Origin for corn

Old English corn; related to Old Norse, Old High German corn, Gothic kaúrn, Latin grānum, Sanskrit jīrná fragile

British Dictionary definitions for corn (2 of 2)

corn²

/ (kɔːn) /

noun

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

Word Origin for corn

C15: from Old French corne horn, from Latin cornū

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for corn

corn

[ kôrn ]

A small conical callosity caused by pressure over a bony prominence, usually on a toe.clavus heloma

corn

Origin of corn

Words nearby corn

Other definitions for corn (2 of 4)

Origin of corn

Other definitions for corn (3 of 4)

Origin of -corn

Other definitions for corn (4 of 4)

Words related to corn

How to use corn in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for corn (1 of 2)

Word Origin for corn

British Dictionary definitions for corn (2 of 2)

Word Origin for corn

Medical definitions for corn