Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Cornish

American  
[kawr-nish] / ˈkɔr nɪʃ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, England, its inhabitants, or the Cornish language.

noun

  1. the Celtic language of Cornwall, extinct since c1800.

  2. one of an English breed of chickens raised chiefly for crossing with other breeds to produce roasters.

Cornish British  
/ ˈkɔːnɪʃ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, its inhabitants, their former language, or their present-day dialect of English

"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

noun

  1. a former language of Cornwall, belonging to the S Celtic branch of the Indo-European family and closely related to Breton: extinct by 1800

  2. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Cornwall

"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

Etymology

Origin of Cornish

1350–1400; late Middle English, apparently syncopated variant of Middle English Cornwelisse. See Cornwall, -ish 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It has been deployed in debates ranging from conditions in armed forces housing to the sewerage system of a Cornish hospital.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

"It creates a band of access land from the trail to the high water mark, so that means you can leave the trail to go and roam the beaches," Cornish says.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

According to the Mebyon Kernow councillor, seeing Cornish used in public spaces can help raise awareness of the language even among non-speakers.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

"Cornish speakers can understand some of the Welsh because some of the words are similar," Jenkin added.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

The Cornish Cross is a type of chicken bred for the industrial food chain.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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.