corn

corn — noun

1. the edible seeds that come from cereal crops — for example, wheat, barley, and o

1.nounB1
Definition

the edible seeds that come from cereal crops — for example, wheat, barley, and oats — which people grind into flour or give to farm animals; the word may also refer to the plants themselves, especially a region's main grain crop.

Example

Farmers across Suffolk harvest their corn each September before the autumn rains arrive.

British usage: wheat/barley/oats as the main cereal crop

The price of corn has risen sharply this year because of the summer drought.

Common collocations
  • harvest corn
  • grind corn
  • sack of corn
  • corn prices
  • field of corn
  • grow corn
Synonyms
  • grain

    more general term; 'grain' includes rice and other cereals

  • cereal

    closer to the botanical category; 'cereal' is more formal and scientific

Grammar Patterns

often the + noun in British contexts

Usage Note

In British English, 'corn' is a general term for the main cereal crop of a region — typically wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland. In American English, 'corn' always refers to maize (Zea mays).

Common Mistakes

I ate corn for breakfast.' (in UK, unclear — could mean any cereal).
I ate porridge for breakfast.' or 'I ate sweet corn for breakfast.
'corn' in British English refers to cereal grains in general, not specifically maize.

2. a tall plant (Zea mays) with thick stalks and large green leaves, grown in warm

2.nounA2
Definition

a tall plant (Zea mays) with thick stalks and large green leaves, grown in warm climates for its yellow or white seeds, which people eat as food, grind into meal, or use as animal feed.

Example

Baraka planted corn along the edge of his garden to create a natural windbreak.

Hiro's corn grew taller than his truck after weeks of warm rain and strong sun.

describing the tall maize plant

Common collocations
  • corn field
  • corn stalk
  • ear of corn
  • plant corn
  • grow corn
  • harvest corn
Synonyms
  • maize

    more formal term; 'maize' is common in scientific and British English contexts

  • Indian corn

    older term, still used in historical contexts

Grammar Patterns

no article when referring to the crop in general

3. the sweet, soft kernels from a maize cob that people eat as a side dish or ingre

3.nounA2
Definition

the sweet, soft kernels from a maize cob that people eat as a side dish or ingredient — sold fresh, frozen, tinned, or dried, and often served with butter or in cooked dishes.

Example

Élise added fresh corn to the salad along with chopped tomatoes and black beans.

The children ate sweet corn on the cob at the neighbourhood summer barbecue.

sweet corn / corn on the cob

Common collocations
  • sweet corn
  • corn on the cob
  • frozen corn
  • tinned corn
  • buttered corn
  • corn kernels
Synonyms
  • maize

    more formal and less common in food contexts; 'maize' is the plant, 'corn' is the food

  • sweet corn

    specifically the varieties eaten as a vegetable, not field corn for animal feed

Grammar Patterns

often modified by adjectives: sweet corn, fresh corn, frozen corn

Usage Note

When asking for this food in a restaurant or shop, 'corn' alone is sufficient in American English. Specifying 'sweet corn' or 'corn on the cob' helps distinguish the vegetable from cornmeal or popcorn.

Common Mistakes

I bought a corn at the store.' (countable usage for individual pieces).
I bought some corn / an ear of corn at the store.
'corn' is uncountable; use 'an ear of corn' or 'some corn'.

4. a small, round patch of dead, thickened skin that develops on a person's toe or

4.nounB2
Definition

a small, round patch of dead, thickened skin that develops on a person's toe or between the toes when shoes rub against the same spot repeatedly, which may become painful when pressure is applied.

Example

A painful corn on Felix's little toe stopped him from wearing his running shoes.

a corn on [body part] — indicating location

Hamza visited a podiatrist to have the corn on his right foot treated.

Common collocations
  • have a corn
  • develop a corn
  • corn on [body part]
  • treat a corn
  • remove a corn
  • corn pad
Synonyms
  • callus

    larger and flatter than a corn; usually not painful

  • clavus

    medical term for a corn

Grammar Patterns

a corn / corns on [body part]

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'callus' — a corn is small, round, and has a hard centre that can be painful when pressed, whereas a callus is a larger, flatter area of thickened skin that is usually not painful.

Common Mistakes

I have corn on my foot.' (confusing with the food).
I have a corn on my foot.
as a countable noun meaning a patch of hard skin, 'corn' takes an article.

5. writing, music, acting, or other creative work that is old-fashioned, overly sen

5.nounB2
Definition

writing, music, acting, or other creative work that is old-fashioned, overly sentimental, or uses obvious emotional tricks to make the audience feel something, rather than being original or honest.

Example

The movie's final scene was pure corn, with violins and a tearful airport reunion.

informal: 'pure corn' = overly sentimental

Emre rolled his eyes at the comedian's corny jokes about his mother-in-law.

adjective form: corny

Common collocations
  • pure corn
  • sentimental corn
  • corn-filled
  • corny jokes
  • corny movie
Synonyms
  • corniness

    the quality of being corny; more abstract and less common

  • sentimentality

    broader term; not always negative, while 'corn' usually implies bad taste

  • cheese

    slang with similar meaning; 'cheesy' is even more informal

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pure corn / sentimental corn

Usage Note

Almost always used in a critical or dismissive tone. The related adjective 'corny' is much more common in everyday speech than the noun form.

6. a type of strong alcoholic drink made from fermented corn (maize) grain, similar

6.nounC1
Definition

a type of strong alcoholic drink made from fermented corn (maize) grain, similar to bourbon but with a higher proportion of corn and less strict ageing requirements under United States law.

Example

Dario ordered a glass of corn whiskey at the old bar in downtown Nashville.

American whiskey made from corn mash

The distillery in Kentucky has produced corn whiskey for over a hundred years.

Common collocations
  • corn whiskey
  • drink corn whiskey
  • bottle of corn whiskey
  • corn mash
  • distil corn
Synonyms
  • moonshine

    informal term for illegally made corn whiskey

  • bourbon

    related but distinct; bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels and has a lower corn requirement

Grammar Patterns

corn whiskey / corn whisky

corn — verb

Word family

  • corny
    adjectiveB2
  • cornfield
    nounB1
  • corncob
    nounB2
  • popcorn
    nounA2
  • cornmeal
    nounB2
  • cornbread
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

In American English, 'corn' specifically means maize (Zea mays) — the tall plant with yellow seeds. 'Maize' is the more formal, scientific name and is used in British and academic contexts where 'corn' would be ambiguous. 'Grain' is much broader, covering wheat, rice, oats, barley, and any small, hard seed harvested from cereal plants. 'Cereal' is broader still, referring both to the plants themselves and to processed breakfast foods made from grains. For example, a farmer in Iowa grows 'corn', but a botanist studies 'maize'; a shipment of 'grain' could contain corn, wheat, or soybeans; and 'cereal' could mean a bowl of Cheerios. When you want to be precise about the yellow vegetable eaten at a barbecue, use 'corn'; for scientific writing about the species, use 'maize'.

corn ↗maize ↗grain ↗cereal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • corn field
  • corn harvest
  • corn crop
  • corn farmer
  • corn stalk
  • corn kernel
  • corn bread
  • corn syrup

Phrases

  • ear of corn
  • corn on the cob
  • sack of corn
  • field of corn

Prepositions

  • corn in [field/brine]
  • corn on [the cob/body part]
  • corn with [butter/spices]

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'corn' comes from Old English 'corn', meaning 'grain, seed of a cereal plant', which traces back through Proto-Germanic 'kurnam' to the Proto-Indo-European root '*ǵerh₂-' meaning 'to grow old, become ripe' (also the source of 'geriatric' and 'mature'). In British English, 'corn' kept its original meaning of the dominant cereal grain of a region — wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland. Early English settlers in North America encountered maize, a crop unknown in Europe, and called it 'Indian corn' (later shortened to 'corn'), which led to the American shift where 'corn' now exclusively refers to maize.