3 entries under this word

Kern

Kĕrn, n.

noun

n. [O. Gael. & Ir. cearn, a man.] 1. An Irish footman or foot-soldier of the lowest or poorest rank. Now for our Irish wars; We must supplant those rude, rough-headed kerns. Shak. 2. Any kind of boor or low-lived person. We take a kern most commonly for a farmer or country bumpkin. Blount. 3. (Eng. Law.) An idle person or vagabond.

Kē'rn, n.

noun

n. [A-S. cæcorn, ceyrn.]

A hand-mill consisting of two stones, one of which is turned by the hand. [Usually written quern.]
[O. Eng. cherne, A-S. ceren, D. kern, karn, Dan. kierne. See CHURN.] A churn. [Obs.]
(Type-founding.) That part of a type which hangs over the body, or shank. Adams.

Kĕrn, v. i.

verbintransitive

(14), v. i. [imp. & p. p. KERNED; p. pr. & vb. n. KERNING.] [Ger. kern, kernel, grain, allied to Korn, grain, corn, and Lat. granum, grain, seed, kernel. See CORN and KERNEL.]

To harden, as corn in ripening. [Obs.]
To take the form of corns; to granulate; to set, as fruit. [Obs.]
(Type-founding.) To form with a kern. See KERN, n., No. 3.