corn

plural corns

1. Commonwealthuncountableusuallybut not Australia or New ZealandAny cereal plant (or its grain) that is the main crop or staple of a country or region.

   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

   4 more examples

   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

   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

   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

   [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

   Synonyms: cereal, grain

2. AustraliaCanadaNew ZealandUSuncountableusuallyMaize, a grain crop of the species Zea mays.

   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

   1 more example

   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

   Synonyms: Indian corn

3. uncountableusuallyA single seed of a food crop, especially a cereal grass crop.

   He paid her the nominal fee of two corns of barley.

   1 more example

   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

   Synonyms: grain

4. uncountableusuallyA small, hard particle.

   corns of powder

   1852, Thomas Antisell, Hand-book of the Useful Arts

   1 more example

   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

5. uncountableusuallyA type of granular snow formed by repeated melting and refreezing, often in mountain spring conditions.

   Synonyms: corn snow

6. JamaicaMulticultural London EnglishslanguncountableusuallyengineeringBullets, 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

   1 more example

   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

7. JamaicaslanguncountableusuallyMoney.

   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)

present singular third person corns · participle present corning · participle past corned · past corned

1. CanadaUStransitiveTo granulate; to form (a substance) into grains.

   to corn gunpowder

2. CanadaUStransitiveTo preserve using coarse salt, e.g. corned beef.
3. CanadaUStransitiveTo provide (an animal) with corn (typically maize; or, in Scotland, oats) for feed.

   Corn the horses.

4. obsoletetransitiveTo render intoxicated.

   ale strong enough to corn one

5. JamaicaMulticultural London EnglishslangtransitiveTo shoot up with bullets as by a shotgun (corn).

   Anywhere, anytime, I'll get him, if he's in love; I'll corn his wedding He backed his wetter, I backed my wetter but who really held that wetting?

   2019 September 11, Yanko, “Next Up”, in #ACGK, 1:49

plural corns

1. transitiveA type of callus, usually on the feet or hands.

   Welcome Gentlemen, / Ladies that haue their toes / Vnplagu’d with Cornes, will walke about with you:[…]

   c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v], page 57, column 2

   Synonyms: clavus

2. transitivebiologyAn inflammatory disease of a horse's hoof, at the caudal part of the sole.
3. transitivebiologySkin hyperplasia with underlying fibroma between both digits of cattle.

1. CanadaUStransitiveuncountableSomething (e.g., acting, humour, music, or writing) which is deemed old-fashioned or intended to induce emotion.

   There were lots of jokes on the show and they were pure corn, but the audience didn't mind.

   1986, Linda Martin, Kerry Segrave, Women in Comedy

   2 more examples

   He had a sharp wit, true enough, but also a good, healthy mountaineer's love of pure corn, the slapstick stuff, the in-jokes that get funnier with every repetition and never amuse anybody who wasn't there.

   1975, Tschirlie, Backpacker

   The bulk of this humor was pure corn, but as hillbilly material it was meant to be that way.

   2007, Bob L. Cox, Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman: an East Tennessee old-time music pioneer and his musical family

1. Interneteuphemistictransitiveuncountablepornography; porn

1. A surname.
2. A town in Oklahoma.