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
"The farmer harvested the golden corn that had swayed in the breeze all summer."
the dried grains or kernels or corn used as animal feed or ground for meal
"The farmer bought a truckload of cheap corn to store in the barn for feeding the herd through the winter."
ears of corn that can be prepared and served for human food
"We added sweet corn to the salad to give it a pop of flavor."
(Great Britain) any of various cereal plants (especially the dominant crop of the region--wheat in Great Britain or oats in Scotland and Ireland)
"During the harvest season, the farmers in Yorkshire were busy gathering their annual corn rather than wheat."
whiskey distilled from a mash of not less than 80 percent corn
"He poured himself a glass of Kentucky bourbon, knowing that by law it must be made from at least eighty percent corn."
The main cereal plant grown for its grain in a given region, such as oats in parts of Scotland and Ireland, and wheat or barley in England and Wales.
"The hikers struggled to climb the steep ridge as corn made it slippery under their boots."
A type of callus, usually on the feet or hands.
Something (e.g. acting, humour, music, or writing) which is deemed old-fashioned or intended to induce emotion.
A type of granular snow formed by repeated melting and refreezing, often in mountain spring conditions.
In plain English: Corn is a type of grain that grows on stalks and has edible kernels used for food, animal feed, and industrial products.
"We added some sweet corn to the salad for extra crunch."
Usage: Use "corn" to refer to the yellow grain produced by maize plants when discussing food or agriculture. Do not use it for granular snow, which is technically known as rime ice or rain crust despite its similar appearance.
feed (cattle) with corn
"The farmer hauled bales of hay but still had to buy bags of corn to keep his herd healthy during the winter."
to granulate; to form a substance into grains
"The old farmer watched as the sun beat down on the field, slowly corn-ing the wet clay soil until it broke apart into fine, dusty grains."
In plain English: To corn something means to put a metal brace on a broken finger or toe to keep it from moving while it heals.
"The sugar began to corn as it cooled on the baking sheet."
Usage: Do not use "corn" as a verb to mean granulate or form grains, as this is an archaic and obsolete usage rarely understood today. Instead, reserve the word for its standard meanings related to the plant or slang terms like "to make something seem unimportant."
A surname.
"During the family reunion, Uncle Corn shared his famous recipe for homemade barbecue sauce."
The word corn comes from Old English corn, which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "grain" or something that has grown old and matured. It entered modern usage as the common term for various cereal grains like wheat, barley, and oats in British English.