quern
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of quern
before 950; Middle English; Old English cweorn; akin to Old Norse kvern hand-mill
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.
"We have a quern stone for grinding flour for bread. We've got pottery and glass for eating and drinking" says Dr Andy Seaman.
From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025
Finding a quern stone in an expected spot raises the hairs on the back of his neck—“as if I had been communicating directly with the people who buried it”.
From Economist • Nov. 13, 2014
They built their own little huts of clay and wattles in the surrounding meadows, and took their turn at herding the sheep and grinding in the quern, or handmill, the corn for the daily bread.
From Life of Saint Columba Apostle of Scotland by Forbes, F. A. (Frances Alice)
He asked him for heaven's sake to take back the quern, and that at once.
From Children's Literature A Textbook of Sources for Teachers and Teacher-Training Classes by Clippinger, Erle Elsworth
King Frothi caused these slaves to be brought to the quern, and ordered them to grind gold, peace, and prosperity for Frothi.
From Folk-Lore and Legends; Scandinavian by Various
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.
