quern

[ kwurn ]

noun

1. a primitive, hand-operated mill for grinding grain.

quern

/ kwɜːn /

noun

1. a stone hand mill for grinding corn

Word History and Origins

Origin of quern¹

before 950; Middle English; Old English cweorn; akin to Old Norse kvern hand-mill

Word History and Origins

Origin of quern¹

Old English cweorn; related to Old Frisian quern, Old High German kurn, Old Norse kverna, Gothic quairnus millstone

Example Sentences

I think a prudent reader should pronounce as the judges do—Pater est is quern nuptiæ demonstrant.

From Project Gutenberg

That quern turned out anything that the grinder chose, though formerly it had ground nothing but peace and gold.

From Project Gutenberg

One summer it happened that the men from Quern had killed many deer, while those from Exaluq had caught but a few.

From Project Gutenberg

Mysingr took with him the quern, Grotti, with Fenia and Menia, and ordered them to grind salt.

From Project Gutenberg

But angels used to grind at the quern for Ciaran's sake on the day that was his.

From Project Gutenberg