Corn (kôrn), 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.
☞ 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.
Corn, n. [AS. corn; akin to
OS. korn, D. koren, G., Dan., Sw., & Icel.
korn, Goth. kaúrn, 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.
☞ 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. (Zoöl.)
(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 tæniopus.
(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
Rhœas), 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. (Zoöl.) (a) A
small weevil which causes great injury to grain.
(b) In America, a weevil (Sphenophorus
zeæ) which attacks the stalk of maize near the root,
often doing great damage. See Grain weevil, under
Weevil.
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.