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kern

(kʉrn)

noun

that part of the face of a printed character which projects beyond the body

Origin: Fr carne, projecting angle, hinge < dial. form of OFr charne, a hinge, corner, edge < L cardo (gen. cardinis), a hinge: see cardinal

transitive verb

to put a kern on (a printed character)

or kerne

noun

Archaic a medieval Irish or Scottish foot soldier armed with light weapons
an Irish peasant

Origin: ME kerne < OIr ceitern, band of soldiers, soldier; akin to Gael ceathairne, common people

Kern, Jerome (David) 1885-1945; U.S. composer

See kern in American Heritage Dictionary 4

also kerne

noun

A medieval Scottish or Irish foot soldier.
A loutish person.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English kerne

Origin: , from Middle Irish ceithern, ceithernn, band of soldiers

Origin: , from Old Irish

noun

The portion of a typeface that projects beyond the body or shank of a character.

transitive verb kerned, kern·ing, kerns

To provide (type) with a kern.
To adjust space between (characters) in typeset text.

Origin:

Origin: French carne, corner

Origin: , from Old North French

Origin: , from Latin cardō, cardin-, hinge

American composer of numerous musicals, including Show Boat (1927), and more than a thousand songs, such as “Ol' Man River” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.”

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