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.
Commercial glucosamine supplements are often produced from materials such as shellfish shells or corn.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
Leonor learned from others that the man she always saw eating corn was also from El Salvador.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
This could support demand for corn, a major feedstock for ethanol production in the U.S.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
As a child and in college you had jobs ranging from detasseling corn to maintenance work and painting houses.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Ma needs pecans for Texas chewy pralines, cornmeal for corn bread, and wool so she can knit us socks.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
