kern

plural kerns · alternative Scotland kirn · alternative Scotland curn

1. countabledialectalobsoleteuncountableA corn; grain; kernel.
2. countabledialectalobsoleteuncountableThe last handful or sheaf reaped at the harvest.
3. countabledialectalobsoleteuncountableThe harvest home.
4. countabledialectalobsoleteuncountableA doll or figurine raised in celebration of a successful harvest; kern-baby.

plural kerns · alternative kerne

1. hot metal printingmediaAny part of a letter which extends into the space used by another letter.

   1 more example

   A few types have a portion of the face letter projecting over the body, as in the letter f ; this projection is called the kern, and in combination with other letters the projecting part generally extends over the next letter, as in fe. In those combinations, wherein the kern would come in contact with another letter, compound types are cast, as in the case of ff, fi, fl, ffi, ffl.

   1856, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Odd Fellows' Literary Casket, volumes 6-7, page 360

present singular third person kerns · participle present kerning · participle past kerned · past kerned · alternative kerne

1. chiefly proportional font printingmediaTo adjust the horizontal space between selected pairs of letters (characters or glyphs); to perform such adjustments to a portion of text, according to preset rules.

   You should kern letter pairs when spacing between characters is too wide or too narrow.

   2008, Terry Rydberg, Exploring Adobe InDesign CS4, page 98

   3 more examples

   If you need to kern anything beyond the most commonly used pairs, you can use applications software such as Adobe PageMaker to customize pairs.

   2001, Constance J. Sidles, Graphic Designer's Digital Printing and PrePress Handbook, page 51

   Especially consider kerning if you are printing on a relatively high-resolution printer, such as a 600-dpi (dots per inch) laser printer.

   2001, Bill Camarda, Special Edition Using Microsoft Word 2002, page 122

   Remember, the goal of kerning is to make letter pairs look natural, not necessarily to minimize letterspaces.

   2006, Tova Rabinowitz, Exploring Typography, page 320

plural kerns · alternative kerne

1. archaichistoricalA light-armed foot soldier of the ancient militia of Ireland and Scotland; in archaic contexts often used as a term of contempt.

   ‘O haste thee, and from Allan learn / If thou mayst trust yon wily kern.’

   1810, The Lady of the Lake, Walter Scott, 4.XVIII

   3 more examples

   O then belike she was old and gentle; and you rode like a kern of Ireland, your French hose off and in your strait strossers.

   1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]

   There he entertained Shan O'Neil, a famous, turbulent chief from Ireland, who late in this year visited Elizabeth's Court, where his train of kerns and gallowglasses, clothed in linen kilts dyed with saffron, made a great impression.

   1908, Sabine Baring-Gould, Devonshire Characters and Strange Events: "Lusty" Stucley

   In the pay-roll of Sir Ralph D'Ufford's expeditions in 1344, a mounted archer received 4d. a day, a foot archer 2d. and a kern, or simple foot-soldier 1d.13s "

   1975, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, page 184

2. IrelandobsoleteA boor; a low person.

   The kern was much puzzled, for never before had he known food bought or sold.

   1921, Seumas MacManus, The Story of the Irish Race, page 671

   5 more examples

   Yet it was held that the testimony of the common beadle of the parish, an officer of police, a vulgar, stupid kern, who stood before your own eyes, a very dolt to look on, in all the stark-staring hebetude of just wit enough to be spiteful—was to be credited as to the sense and meaning of an oration, his understanding was to be respected, and his representation trusted, where the Lord Chief Justice of England was in error.

   1828, R. Carlile, “Judgment of the Court of King's Bench on the Reverend Robert Taylor”, in The Lion, volume 1, number 3, page 170

   To think that such a lowly kern Should dare to dream to be allied By wedlock to a royal bairn!

   1903, James Duff Law, Here and There in Two Hemispheres, page 105

   ‘Now will I have at thee as a base kern and niddering,’ roared the knight.

   1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 57

   The garrison were certain the Irish had no suitable equipment, that its manufacture was beyond the ignorant kern, and that it could not be bought for lack of funds.

   1971, Denis Main Ross Esson, The Curse of Cromwell, page 56

   Watch his impudent boldness with great men – you would not think that Essex was the premier Earl and that McGunn was the lowly kern from the boglands of Ireland.

   2010, Rory Clements, Revenger

3. UKobsoleteAn idler; a vagabond.

   The villain kernes Who keep me fettered here.

   1856, William Edmondstoune Aytoun, Bothwell

plural kerns

1. alternativeAlternative form of quern.

plural kerns

1. A churn.

alternative Keirn

1. A surname.
2. An unincorporated community in Macon County, Missouri, United States.
3. A river in California, United States.