kerning

[kur-ning]

noun Printing.

the setting of two letters closer together than is usual by removing space between them.

Origin of kerning

First recorded in 1675–85; kern² + -ing¹

kern

[kurn]Printing.

noun

a part of the face of a type projecting beyond the body or shank, as in certain italic letters.

verb (used with object)

to form or furnish with a kern, as a type or letter.
to remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters) in preparation for printing.

Origin of kern

1675–85; < French carne corner of type ≪ Latin cardin- (stem of cardō) hinge

kern

⁴

[kurn]British Dialect

verb (used without object)

(of a tree or plant) to produce or form kernels, hard grain, or seed.

verb (used with object)

to cause to granulate, especially to granulate salt.
to cover with crystalline grains of salt; salt (meat).

noun

Obsolete. a kernel, as of a nut; a grain, as of sand or wheat.

Origin of kern

⁴

1275–1325; Middle English kirnen, kerne (v.); akin to kirnelen to develop into seed; see kernel

kern

⁵

[kurn]

verb (used with or without object), noun Scot. and North England.

churn.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for kerning

Contemporary Examples of kerning

Suddenly you can hold forth about leading and kerning and other esoteric aspects of typesetting.
Instagram App Deepens Class Warfare Between Apple and Android Smartphones
Dan Lyons
April 6, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for kerning

kerning

noun

printing the adjustment of space between the letters of words to improve the appearance of text matter

kern

kerne

noun

the part of the character on a piece of printer's type that projects beyond the body

verb

(tr) to furnish (a typeface) with a kern

Word Origin for kern

C17: from French carne corner of type, projecting angle, ultimately from Latin cardō hinge

kern

noun

a lightly armed foot soldier in medieval Ireland or Scotland
a troop of such soldiers
archaic a loutish peasant

Word Origin for kern

C14: from Middle Irish cethern band of foot soldiers, from cath battle

kern

noun

engineering the central area of a wall, column, etc, through which all compressive forces pass

Word Origin for kern

from German Kern core, heart

Kern

noun

Jerome (David). 1885–1945, US composer of musical comedies, esp Show Boat (1927)

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

Word Origin and History for kerning

kern

1680s, "part of a metal type projecting beyond the body," as the head of an -f- or the tail of a -j-, from French carne "projecting angle, quill of a pen," from Latin cardinem "hinge."