cornflakes

American  

[kawrn-flayks] / ˈkɔrnˌfleɪks /

Or corn flakes

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a packaged breakfast cereal in the form of small toasted flakes made from corn, for serving cold with milk, sugar, etc.

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cornflakes British  

/ ˈkɔːnˌfleɪks /

plural noun

1. a breakfast cereal made from toasted maize, eaten with milk, sugar, etc

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Etymology

Origin of cornflakes

1905–10, corn ¹ + flakes, plural of flake ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cornflakes

Eleven U.S. innovations, such as cornflakes, the implantable pacemaker and the microwave, were born from accidental discoveries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

The popularity of the hermit crab as a pet soared in the 1970s, when one company branded them “Crazy Crabs” and told buyers they would eat anything: pizza, cookies, cornflakes!

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025

The beverage and humble ingredient is made by lightly toasting 2 3/4 cups of cornflakes and steeping it in 3 3/4 cups of cold milk for 20 minutes.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2025

When I mentioned it recently to my mother, she said, “Oh, well. Time for a break then. Otherwise it’s like eating the same bowl of cornflakes every day for 19 years.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2025

I ate cornflakes and milk, morning and night, and bought some bananas for variety, slicing them into the bowl with the edge of my spoon.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri