corn

The definition of corn is a hard, seed like kernel of an American cereal plant, or a painful, hard and thick growth on the skin.

(noun)

Corn is defined as to form into tiny particles, to feed grain to animals, or to preserve foods with salt.

(verb)

An example of corn is to bring grain out to the horses.

See corn in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Now Dial. a tiny, hard particle, as of salt or sand; granule; grain
a small, hard seed or seedlike fruit, esp. a seed or grain of a cereal grass; kernel: now chiefly in compounds, as peppercorn, barleycorn
☆
1. a cultivated American cereal plant (Zea mays) of the grass family, with the grain borne on cobs enclosed in husks; maize
2. the ears or kernels of this cereal plant
Brit.
1. the seeds of all cereal grasses, as wheat, rye, barley, etc.; grain
2. any plant or plants producing grain
the leading cereal crop in a particular place, as wheat in England or oats in Scotland and Ireland
Informal corn whiskey
☆ Informal ideas, humor, music, etc. regarded as old-fashioned, trite, banal, or sentimental

Origin: ME & OE < IE base *ger-, to ripen, mature, grow old > grain, churn, Gr gerōn, old man

transitive verb

noun

a hard, thick, painful growth of skin, esp. on a toe, caused by pressure or friction

Origin: ME & OFr corne < L cornu, horn

See corn in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. Any of numerous cultivated forms of a widely grown, usually tall annual cereal grass (Zea mays) bearing grains or kernels on large ears.
b. The grains or kernels of this plant, used as food for humans and livestock or for the extraction of an edible oil or starch. Also called Indian corn, maize.
An ear of this plant.
Chiefly British Any of various cereal plants or grains, especially the principal crop cultivated in a particular region, such as wheat in England or oats in Scotland.
a. A single grain of a cereal plant.
b. A seed or fruit of various other plants, such as a peppercorn.
Corn snow.
Informal Corn whiskey.
Slang Something considered trite, dated, melodramatic, or unduly sentimental.

verb corned, corn·ing, corns

verb, transitive

To cause to form hard particles; granulate.
a. To season and preserve with granulated salt.
b. To preserve (beef, for example) in brine.
To feed (animals) with corn or grain.

verb, intransitive

To form hard particles; become grainy: “After the snow melts all day, it corns up at night for fine conditions” (Hatfield Valley Advocate).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English, grain

Origin: , from Old English; see gṛə-no- in Indo-European roots

noun

A horny thickening of the skin, usually on or near a toe, resulting from pressure or friction. Also called clavus.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English corne

Origin: , from Old French, horn

Origin: , from Latin cornū; see ker-¹ in Indo-European roots

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