Adjacent Words

Corn definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CORN, n. [G., L. See Grain.]
1. A single seed of certain plants, as wheat, rye, barley and maiz; a grain. In this sense, it has a plural; as, three barley corns make an inch. It is generally applied to edible seeds, which, when ripe, are hard.
2. The seeds of certain plants in general, in bulk or quantity; as, corn is dear or scarce. In this sense, the word comprehends all the kinds of grain which constitute the food of men and horses. In Great Britain, corn is generally applied to wheat, rye, oats and barley. In the United States, it has the same general sense, but by custom, it is appropriated to maiz. We are accustomed to say, the crop of wheat is good, but the corn is bad; it is a good year for wheat and rye, but bad for corn. In this sense, corn has no plural.
3. The plants which produce corn, when growing in the field; the stalks and ears, or the stalks, ears and seeds, after reaping and before thrashing. We say, a field of corn, a sheaf or a shock of corn, a load of corn. The plants or stalks are included in the terms corn, until the seed is separated from the ears.
4. In surgery, a hard excrescence, or induration of the skin, on the toes or some part of the feet, occasioned by the pressure of the shoes; so called from its hardness and resemblance to a corn.
5. A small hard particle. [See Grain.]
CORN, v.t.
1. To preserve and season with salt in grains; to sprinkle with salt; as, to corn beef.
2. To granulate; to form into small grains.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times [syn: corn, maize, Indian corn, Zea mays]
2: the dried grains or kernels or corn used as animal feed or ground for meal
3: ears of corn that can be prepared and served for human food [syn: corn, edible corn]
4: a hard thickening of the skin (especially on the top or sides of the toes) caused by the pressure of ill-fitting shoes [syn: corn, clavus]
5: (Great Britain) any of various cereal plants (especially the dominant crop of the region--wheat in Great Britain or oats in Scotland and Ireland)
6: whiskey distilled from a mash of not less than 80 percent corn [syn: corn whiskey, corn whisky, corn]
7: something sentimental or trite; "that movie was pure corn" v
1: feed (cattle) with corn
2: preserve with salt; "corned beef"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German & Old Norse korn grain, Latin granum Date: before 12th century 1. chiefly dialect a small hard particle ; grain 2. a small hard seed 3. a. the seeds of a cereal grass and especially of the important cereal crop of a particular region (as wheat in Britain, oats in Scotland and Ireland, and Indian corn in the New World and Australia) b. the kernels of sweet corn served as a vegetable while still soft and milky 4. a plant that produces corn; especially Indian corn 1 5. corn whiskey 6. a. something (as writing, music, or acting) that is corny b. the quality or state of being corny ; corniness 7. corn snow II. transitive verb Date: 1560 1. to form into grains ; granulate 2. a. to preserve or season with salt in grains b. to cure or preserve in brine containing preservatives and often seasonings <corned beef> 3. to feed with corn <corn the horses> III. noun Etymology: Middle English corne, from Anglo-French, horn, from Latin cornu horn, point — more at horn Date: 15th century a local hardening and thickening of epidermis (as on a toe)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a any cereal before or after harvesting, esp. the chief crop of a region: wheat, oats, or (in the US and Australia) maize. b a grain or seed of a cereal plant. 2 colloq. something corny or trite. --v.tr. (as corned adj.) sprinkled or preserved with salt or brine (corned beef). Phrases and idioms: corn-cob the cylindrical centre of the maize ear to which rows of grains are attached. corn-cob pipe a tobacco-pipe made from a corn-cob. corn-cockle see COCKLE(2). corn dolly a symbolic or decorative figure made of plaited straw. corn exchange a place for trade in corn. corn-factor Brit. a dealer in corn. corn marigold a daisy-like yellow-flowered plant, Chrysanthemum segetum, growing amongst corn. corn on the cob maize cooked and eaten from the corn-cob. corn-salad = lamb's lettuce (see LAMB). corn-spurry see SPURRY. corn-whiskey US whisky distilled from maize. Etymology: OE f. Gmc: rel. to L granum grain 2. n. a small area of horny usu. tender skin esp. on the toes, extending into subcutaneous tissue. Etymology: ME f. AF f. L cornu horn

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Corn Corn (k[^o]rn), n. [L. cornu horn: cf. F. corne horn, hornlike excrescence. See Horn.] A thickening of the epidermis at some point, esp. on the toes, by friction or pressure. It is usually painful and troublesome. Welcome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes Unplagued with corns, will have a bout with you. --Shak. Note: The substance of a corn usually resembles horn, but where moisture is present, as between the toes, it is white and sodden, and is called a soft corn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Corn Corn, n. [AS. corn; akin to OS. korn, D. koren, G., Dan., Sw., & Icel. korn, Goth. ka['u]rn, L. granum, Russ. zerno. Cf. Grain, Kernel.] 1. A single seed of certain plants, as wheat, rye, barley, and maize; a grain. 2. The various farinaceous grains of the cereal grasses used for food, as wheat, rye, barley, maize, oats. Note: In Scotland, corn is generally restricted to oats, in the United States, to maize, or Indian corn, of which there are several kinds; as, yellow corn, which grows chiefly in the Northern States, and is yellow when ripe; white or southern corn, which grows to a great height, and has long white kernels; sweet corn, comprising a number of sweet and tender varieties, grown chiefly at the North, some of which have kernels that wrinkle when ripe and dry; pop corn, any small variety, used for popping. 3. The plants which produce corn, when growing in the field; the stalks and ears, or the stalks, ears, and seeds, after reaping and before thrashing. In one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail had thrashed the corn. --Milton. 4. A small, hard particle; a grain. ``Corn of sand.'' --Bp. Hall. ``A corn of powder.'' --Beau. & Fl. Corn ball, a ball of popped corn stuck together with soft candy from molasses or sugar. Corn bread, bread made of Indian meal. Corn cake, a kind of corn bread; johnny cake; hoecake. Corn cockle (Bot.), a weed (Agrostemma or Lychnis Githago), having bright flowers, common in grain fields. Corn flag (Bot.), a plant of the genus Gladiolus; -- called also sword lily. Corn fly. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small fly which, in the larval state, is injurious to grain, living in the stalk, and causing the disease called ``gout,'' on account of the swelled joints. The common European species is Chlorops t[ae]niopus. (b) A small fly (Anthomyia ze) whose larva or maggot destroys seed corn after it has been planted. Corn fritter, a fritter having green Indian corn mixed through its batter. [U. S.] Corn laws, laws regulating trade in corn, especially those in force in Great Britain till 1846, prohibiting the importation of foreign grain for home consumption, except when the price rose above a certain rate. Corn marigold. (Bot.) See under Marigold. Corn oyster, a fritter containing grated green Indian corn and butter, the combined taste resembling that of oysters. [U.S.] Corn parsley (Bot.), a plant of the parsley genus (Petroselinum segetum), a weed in parts of Europe and Asia. Corn popper, a utensil used in popping corn. Corn poppy (Bot.), the red poppy (Papaver Rh[oe]as), common in European cornfields; -- also called corn rose. Corn rent, rent paid in corn. Corn rose. See Corn poppy. Corn salad (Bot.), a name given to several species of Valerianella, annual herbs sometimes used for salad. V. olitoria is also called lamb's lettuce. Corn stone, red limestone. [Prov. Eng.] Corn violet (Bot.), a species of Campanula. Corn weevil. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small weevil which causes great injury to grain. (b) In America, a weevil (Sphenophorus ze[ae]) which attacks the stalk of maize near the root, often doing great damage. See Grain weevil, under Weevil.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Corn Corn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corned (k?rnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Corning.] 1. To preserve and season with salt in grains; to sprinkle with salt; to cure by salting; now, specifically, to salt slightly in brine or otherwise; as, to corn beef; to corn a tongue. 2. To form into small grains; to granulate; as, to corn gunpowder. 3. To feed with corn or (in Sctland) oats; as, to corn horses. --Jamieson. 4. To render intoxicated; as, ale strong enough to corn one. [Colloq.] Corning house, a house or place where powder is corned or granulated.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(corns) 1. Corn is used to refer to crops such as wheat and barley. It can also be used to refer to the seeds from these plants. (BRIT; in AM, use grain) ...fields of corn... He filled the barn to the roof with corn. N-UNCOUNT 2. Corn is the same as maize. ...rows of corn in an Iowa field. 3. Corns are small, painful areas of hard skin which can form on your foot, especially near your toes. N-COUNT: usu pl 4. see also popcorn, sweetcorn

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The word so rendered (dagan) in Gen. 27:28, 37, Num. 18:27, Deut. 28:51, Lam. 2:12, is a general term representing all the commodities we usually describe by the words corn, grain, seeds, peas, beans. With this corresponds the use of the word in John 12:24.

In Gen. 41:35, 49, Prov. 11:26, Joel 2:24 ("wheat"), the word thus translated (bar; i.e., "winnowed") means corn purified from chaff. With this corresponds the use of the word in the New Testament (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17; Acts 7:12). In Ps. 65:13 it means "growing corn."

In Gen. 42:1, 2, 19, Josh. 9:14, Neh. 10:31 ("victuals"), the word (sheber; i.e., "broken," i.e., grist) denotes generally victuals, provisions, and corn as a principal article of food.

From the time of Solomon, corn began to be exported from Palestine (Ezek. 27:17; Amos 8:5). "Plenty of corn" was a part of Issac's blessing conferred upon Jacob (Gen. 27:28; comp. Ps. 65:13).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

korn (daghan; sitos): A word used for cereals generally (Ge 27:28,37, etc., the King James Version) much as our English word "corn." the American Standard Revised Version almost invariably substitutes "grain" for "corn." The latter may be taken to include

(1) barley,

(2) wheat,

(3) fitches (vetches),

(4) lentils,

(5) beans,

(6) millet,

(7) rye--the wrong translation for vetches,

(8) pulse--for all these see separate articles.

Rye and oats are not cultivated in Palestine For many references to corn see AGRICULTURE; FOOD. "A corn kokkos, the Revised Version (British and American) "grain" of wheat" is mentioned (Joh 12:24).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Cereal grain. 2. Maize, Indian corn. 3. Horny excrescence. II. v. a. 1. Salt moderately, sprinkle with salt. 2. [U. S., Scotch, and provincial.] Intoxicate, fuddle, muddle, inebriate, make drunk, make tipsy.

Moby Thesaurus

Joe Miller, aftergrass, anhydrate, bamboo, banality, barley, benign tumor, bird seed, blast-freeze, boil, bran, brine, bromide, bump, bunion, callosity, callus, cancer, cane, carbuncle, carcinoma, cat food, cereal, cereal plant, chestnut, chicken feed, chop, cliche, commonplace, commonplace expression, cure, cyst, dehydrate, desiccate, dilatation, dilation, distension, dog food, dry, dry-cure, dry-salt, eatage, edema, embalm, ensilage, evaporate, excrescence, familiar tune, farinaceous plant, feed, fodder, fog, forage, forage grass, freeze, freeze-dry, fume, fungosity, fungus, furuncle, grain, graminaceous plant, grass, growth, hackneyed saying, hay, intumescence, irradiate, jerk, joke with whiskers, kipper, lawn grass, lieu commun, locus communis, lump, malignant growth, marinade, marinate, mash, meal, metastatic tumor, mole, morbid growth, mummify, neoplasm, nevus, nonmalignant tumor, oats, old joke, old saw, old song, old story, old turkey, old wheeze, ornamental grass, outgrowth, pasturage, pasture, pet food, pickle, pimple, platitude, pock, preservatize, prosaicism, prosaism, prose, proud flesh, provender, pustule, quick-freeze, reed, refrigerate, reiteration, retold story, rising, salt, sarcoma, scratch, scratch feed, season, sebaceous cyst, silage, slops, smoke, smoke-cure, stereotyped saying, straw, stuff, swell, swelling, swill, swollenness, trite joke, trite saying, triticism, tumefaction, tumescence, tumidity, tumor, turgescence, turgescency, turgidity, twice-told tale, verruca, warmed-over cabbage, wart, wen, wheat