corn en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵerh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nóm Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂-nós Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm Proto-Germanic *kurną Proto-West Germanic *korn Old English corn Middle English corn English corn Inherited from Middle English corn, from Old English corn, from Proto-West Germanic *korn, from Proto-Germanic *kurną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm (“grain; worn-down”), from *ǵerh₂- (“grow old, mature”). Cognate with Dutch koren, German Low German Koorn, German Korn, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish korn; see also Albanian grurë, Russian зерно́ (zernó), Czech zrno, Latin grānum and Lithuanian žirnis. Doublet of grain, gram, granum, and grao. The sense maize (Zea mays) is an ellipsis of Indian corn that developed in 18th century North America.
Meanings
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(Commonwealth, qualifier:but not Australia or New Zealand, uncountable, usually) Any cereal plant (or its grain) that is the main crop or staple of a country or region.
And hee ſaid, Beholde, I haue heard that there is corne in Egypt: get you downe thither and buy for vs from thence, that we may liue, and not die.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 42:2, column 2:[T]here exists arguments in favour of regarding one of the eatable varieties of "leaven," Machmetzeth, as the beer of the Hebrews. The mention of beer by the Egyptians is frequent; under the name of Hek, two intoxicating beverages are included. The components of these beers, individually, are not known: one was made from corn, the other was a medicated or sweetened beer, due to the addition of honey, or system of brewing.
1887, James Death, The Beer of the Bible: One of the Hitherto Unknown Leavens of Exodus. […], page 12:Moreover, however much the individual manufacturer might give the rein to his old lust for gain, the spokesmen and political leaders of the manufacturing class ordered a change of front and of speech towards the workpeople. They had entered upon the contest for the repeal of the Corn Laws, and needed the workers to help them to victory. They promised, therefore, not only a double-sized loaf of bread, but the enactment of the Ten Hours' Bill in the Free Trade millenium.
1887, Karl Marx, “The Working Day”, in Samuel Moore and Edward Aveling, transl., edited by Frederick [i.e., Friedrich] Engels, Capital: A Critical Analysis of Capitalist Production: Translated from the Third German Edition, volume I, London: Swan Sonnenschein, Lowrey, & Co., […], →OCLC, part III (The Production of Absolute Surplus-value), section 6 (The Struggle for the Normal Working Day. […]), page 267:I found that we had nearly a hundred bushels of corn, including wheat, maize, and barley, to add to our store.
1909, Johann David Wyss (Susannah Mary Paull, translator), The Swiss Family Robinson, page 462:Among the divinities that dwelt on Mount Olympus, none was more friendly to the husbandman than Demeter, goddess of corn.
1847, John Mason Neale, Stories from heathen mythology and Greek history, page 115:
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(Australia, Canada, New-Zealand, US, uncountable, usually) Maize, a grain crop of the species Zea mays.
Corn was the staff of life for many Indian people before contact, and it became the staff of life for many European colonists. Corn was higher in nutrition than most other grain crops. John Lawson, who travelled in South Carolina and into the interior Indian country in 1701, was one of the many colonists who sang the praises of corn.
1998 February 18, Colin G. Calloway, New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America, JHU Press, →ISBN, pages 51–52:The planting or sowing of maize, exclusively called corn, was just accomplished on the Town Hill, when I reached it.
1809, Edward Augustus Kendall, Travels Through the Northern Parts of the United States:
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(uncountable, usually) A single seed of a food crop, especially a cereal grass crop.
Verely, verely, I ſay vnto you, Except a corne of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 12:24, column 2:He paid her the nominal fee of two corns of barley.
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(uncountable, usually) A small, hard particle.
corns of powder
1852, Thomas Antisell, Hand-book of the Useful Arts:The least corn of sand is not so small to the whole earth, as man is to the heaven:[…]
1612–1626, Joseph Hall, “[Contemplations upon the Principal Passages in the Holy Story. Book I.] Of Man.”, in Josiah Pratt, editor, The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall, D.D. […], volume I (Contemplations), London: […] C[harles] Whittingham, […]; for Williams and Smith, […], published 1808, →OCLC, part IV (Contemplations on the Old Testament), page 8:
- (uncountable, usually) A type of granular snow formed by repeated melting and refreezing, often in mountain spring conditions.
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(Jamaica, Multicultural-London-English, slang, uncountable, usually) Bullets, ammunition, and charge and discharge of firearms.
R.I.P Scumpy ah you did say Popcaan And if a boy diss we clap corn.
2014 June 9, Andrae Hugh Sutherland respectively Popcaan of Popcaan, “Where We Come From” (track 13), in Where We Come From:We got spinners and dotties We got .40s and MACs We got nuff live corn […] See the four-door pausing Skengs out, everyone runnin But the corn just slapped and floored em 50 shots in that mop
2016 September 9, Liquez respectively Dimzy of 67, “Jump Out Gang” (track 7), in Let’s Lurk:
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(Jamaica, slang, uncountable, usually) Money.
You know dem have wedge while we have corn. Say Cockney say be first, my son! We just say Gwan!
1984, Smiley Culture, Cockney Translator (song title):
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| corns | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
eat one's seed corn · corn planthopper · cornflake · candy corn · broom corn · popped corn · street corn · corn plaster · carry corn · cornflower · pod corn · sour corn · corn gallon · sea corn · corn mint · corn whiskey · corn roaster · cornfield · eggcorn · quadricorn · corn crake · cornflour · corn house · jackass corn · corn-crake · Turkey corn · green corn · cornsilk · eat the seed corn · corn-cob · corn cracker · cornish · kaffir corn · sugar corn · corn juice · whitecorn · cornfed · Mexican street corn · corn aphid · turkey corn · popcorn · sweetcorn · squirrel corn · corn liquor · corn rye bread · cornhusk · corn-fed · cornfloor · California corn flakes · corn bunting · corn exchange · corn on the cob · cornify · kernel corn · blue corn · cornshucking · Guinea corn · field corn · grain corn · corn gromwell · cord grass · Corngate · puffcorn · corn mummy · cornpone · cornstick · pole corn · corn marigold · corn snow · acknowledge the corn · corncutter · cornmeal · cute as corn · sandcorn · corn crib · cornloft · corn thistle · cornball · European corn borer · negro corn · corn cockle · cornfest · corn sweat · shoepeg corn · corn flake · can of corn · peppercorn · frankencorn · corn dog · pudding corn · corn pudding · corn-pone · corn-cracker · corn-dodger · corn rice · corn-factor · corn law · corn-flag · grind the corn · pib-corn · corn borer · cornhusker · breadcorn · high fructose corn syrup · corncob · corn syrup · cornhole · flint corn · calico corn · multicorn · cornsheller · cornstone · corn-miller · corn sugar · broomcorn · corncake · corncockle · cornbird · corn cheese · sweet corn · off-corn · corn oil · seed corn · corn flakes · corn parsley · corn crusher · corn roast · corncrake · corn silk · what does that have to do with the price of corn · cornshuck · corn moth · kettle corn · cornless · corn-pit · dent corn · corn doll · corn moon · cream corn · corn mother · Asian corn borer · cornworm · cornmarket · corn fly · reindeer corn · skillet corn bread · high-fructose corn syrup · barleycorn · corn pone · corn blotch leafminer · corn poppy · corn snake · white corn · corn salad · corn oyster · cornlike · corn leaf aphid · corn smut · cornhusking · corn nut · waxy corn · earn one's corn · corn chip · seedcorn · corn planting moon · cornstarch · corn dolly · cornland · corn circle · kafir corn · creamed corn · corn rocket · cornkister · cornplate · hog-corn ratio · cornsack · corn truffle · wardcorn · cornlage · baby corn · cornstalk · cornbind · cornmill · cornmonger · corn earworm · corn-hog ratio · corn starch · flour corn · corn squeezing
Descendants
Hypernyms
Relateds
wheat (types of grain) · maize (types of grain) · oats (types of grain) · cereal (types of grain) · grain (types of grain) · rye (types of grain) · barley (types of grain)
Synonyms
grain · corn snow · cereal · Indian corn · grain
Translations (76)
grc ἀκτή (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · hu gabonaszem (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · es grano (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · hu búza (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · eo greno (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · de Zerealie (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · de Korn (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · nl graan (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fi jyvä (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · it grano (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · cy ŷd (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · sk zrno (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ca llavor (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ca pinyol (small, hard particle) · grc σῖτος (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · de Korn (small, hard particle) · eo greno (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · alt аш (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · kum тирлик (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · th ข้าว (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fr maïs (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · tyz bắp (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ru зерно́ (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · tr darı (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fa ذرت (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · he דָּגָן (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · got 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · eo tritiko (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · eo hordeo (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · sv korn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · de Korn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · hy հացահատիկ (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · de Getreide (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · ca gra (small, hard particle) · nl koren (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fi jyvä (small, hard particle) · hu gabona (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · pl zboże (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · hu szemcse (small, hard particle) · es cereal (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · bg зърно (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · hu szem (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · egy sSr-Z1-U9:Z2ss (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · sa धान्य (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · lnd deley (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ckt кавкавтыӈачьыԓӄыԓ (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fi vilja (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · got 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽𐍉 (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · zza tene (diq) (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ga arbhar (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · nds-de Koorn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · kum ашлыкъ (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · pt grãos (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · da kerne (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ca gra (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fi jyvänen (small, hard particle) · ar غَلَّة (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · nds-de Korn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ja 穀物 (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · ro cereală (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · pt cereal (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · fi rae (small, hard particle) · nds-de Kuurn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · gd arbhar (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · mk зрно (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · no korn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · io cerealo (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · nl koren (main cereal crop or staple in a given region) · de Getreide (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · zza dendıkê nebi (small, hard particle) · tr tahıl (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · mt qamħerrun (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · da korn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · eo aveno (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · nds-de Kurn (grain or seed of a cereal crop) · vi ngô (grain or seed of a cereal crop)
wikidata: Q11575 · wikidata: Q12117 · wikipedia: Alfred A. Knopf