I. ˈkərn, ˈkə̄n verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English curnen, kernen, from (assumed) Old English cyrnen, from Old English corn — more at corn
intransitive verb
dialect England : to form kernels
good weather for the grain to kern
transitive verb
dialect England : to form or set (as a crop of fruit)
trees that had kerned their best crop in years
II. noun
( -s )
dialect England : kernel , grain
kern of corn
kerns of sand
III. noun
also kerne “, ˈke(ə)rn, ˈkeən
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English kerne, from Middle Irish cethern band of soldiers, from cath battle, from Old Irish; akin to Gaulish catu- battle, Welsh cad, Old English heatho-, Old High German hadu-, Old Norse höth- battle, Sanskrit śatru enemy
1. : a foot soldier ; especially : a light-armed soldier of medieval Ireland or Scotland
those rough rugheaded kerns — Shakespeare
— compare gallowglass
2. : a rude or boorish countryman especially from Scotland or Ireland
IV. ˈkərn, ˈkə̄n
chiefly dialect
variant of kirn
V. “, ˈkəin noun
( -s )
Etymology: modification of French carne corner, projecting angle, from French dialect (Picardy & Normandy), from Latin cardin-, cardo hinge — more at cardinal
1. : a part of the face of a typecast letter that projects beyond the body (as the upper or lower extremity of f or the tail of Q )
2. : a corresponding part of a printed letter
VI. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to form with a kern (as a letter)
2. : to smooth (type) about the kern
intransitive verb
: to become kerned — used of a letter or some part of a letter
VII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: German, core, kernel, nucleus, from Old High German kerno; akin to Old Norse kjarni kernel, core, Old English corn
: nucleus 2l