corn

(kôrn)
n.

1. 1. Any of numerous cultivated forms of a widely grown, usually tall annual cereal grass (Zea mays) bearing grains or kernels on large ears.
   2. The grains or kernels of this plant, used as food for humans and livestock or for the extraction of an edible oil or starch. Also called Indian corn, maize.
2. An ear of this plant.
3. Chiefly British. Any of various cereal plants or grains, especially the principal crop cultivated in a particular region, such as wheat in England or oats in Scotland.
4. 1. A single grain of a cereal plant.
   2. A seed or fruit of various other plants, such as a peppercorn.
5. Corn snow.
6. Informal. Corn whiskey.
7. Slang. Something considered trite, dated, melodramatic, or unduly sentimental.

v., corned, corn·ing, corns.

v.tr.

1. To cause to form hard particles; granulate.
2. 1. To season and preserve with granulated salt.
   2. To preserve (beef, for example) in brine.
3. To feed (animals) with corn or grain.

v.intr.
To form hard particles; become grainy: "After the snow melts all day, it corns up at night for fine conditions" (Hatfield Valley Advocate).

[Middle English, grain, from Old English.]

corn² (kôrn)
n.
A horny thickening of the skin, usually on or near a toe, resulting from pressure or friction. Also called clavus.

[Middle English corne, from Old French, horn, from Latin cornū.]

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means 'wheat or oats' in British English, and 'maize' in American English.

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Zea mays, Gramineae

Probably originating from Mexico or Central America, corn is sometimes also called "Indian wheat." The corn kernels grow on 
ears that are 6-12 in. (15-30 cm) long. They are yellow, white, orange, red, purple, blue, black or brown, depending on the variety.

The kernel comprises three main parts: the pericarp (envelope), the endosperm (contains 90% starch) and the embryo (the germ, rich in nutrients). Corn species are grouped into six categories. The most important species commercially is used to feed animals, and is referred to as dent corn. The second most important species is the sweetcorn used for human consumption; the kernels are tender, milky and sweet. Among the other varieties are popping corn or "popcorn"; this is a variety with small kernels. There is also ornamental corn, which is not edible. Depending on the species, the kernels are more or less sweet, oily and tasty.

Buying

Choose: very fresh corn that releases white juice under simple finger pressure. 

Avoid: colorless or shrivelled corn, whose silky threads are dark and dry, or whose husk leaves are faded or yellowed. Don't buy corn from displays that are exposed to sunlight or high temperatures, as heat accelerates the process that makes corn floury.

Serving Ideas

Fresh corn is eaten cooked as is on the cob, or the kernels are removed, then cooked and eaten.

Corn on the cob is often seasoned with butter and salt.

Corn kernels can be removed from the cob before or after cooking. Raw corn kernels are used in soups, stews and relishes. Cooked kernels are served as a side dish or added to salads.

Hominy is made by soaking corn kernels in lye to remove the hulls; hominy is soft and creamy, and slightly puffy, and is used as a side dish or in casseroles and stews. Pozole is the Mexican name for hominy, and is available fresh or dried.
Hominy grits are ground dried hominy, eaten as a porridge but more commonly as a side to eggs and bacon.

The fine corn flour called masa harina is milled from dried hulled corn kernels that have been soaked and kneaded into dough, then dried and ground to make tortillas.

Cornstarch is obtained by extracting the starch from the endosperm. It has gelling properties and is used in the same way as wheat flour or to thicken foods. Before adding cornstarch to a hot mixture, blend it with some cold liquid to prevent it from forming lumps. 


Cook it for at least 1 min. The food industry uses this starch to thicken sauces, desserts, pastries, vinaigrettes, sour cream, peanut butter, confectionery, baby foods, charcuterie (sausages and deli meats), etc. The starch can be processed to control its effect. It is called "modified starch."

Cornmeal is obtained by milling degermed and dried corn kernels into more or less fine granules. It gives a slightly crunchy texture to cookies, muffins, cakes, breads. It is boiled into a thickened porridge to make polenta; it is added to and thickens soups and sauces, and is made into tamales—a meat-filled corn "roll" baked in a corn husk— tortillas and corn chips. It is difficult to knead and results in a crumbly product.

Corn flour results from the finest milling of the dried corn kernel, from which the germ is often removed. It is used in crepes, cakes, muffins and breads. As it is gluten-deficient, it must be combined with wheat flour to obtain foods that will rise (cakes, muffins, breads).

The corn germ is the embryo; it contains several nutrients and 46% of its calories comes from its fats. The germ is almost always removed from the kernels so that the products made from corn keep for a longer time. The corn germ has a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor. It is used by itself with milk as a cold cereal, added to foods to enrich them (salads, legumes, simmered dishes). Highly perishable, it is often sold in airtight packaging that is stored in the fridge or freezer once opened. 

Corn oil is dark gold when unrefined and pale amber when it is refined. It contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (58.7%), monounsaturated fatty acids (24.2%) and saturated fatty acids (12.7%).

Cornflakes are ready-to-eat cold cereal.

Corn is used in the manufacture of beer, bourbon (whiskey), gin and chicha (an indigenous South American drink made from fermented corn sprouts).

Nutritional Information

Corn is mainly made up of polyunsaturated fatty acids (46%), monounsaturated fatty acids (28%) and saturated fatty acids (15%). The floury varieties are higher in starch, which results in kernels that are not very sweet. In the sweeter varieties, the sugar begins to turn into starch as soon as it is picked, quickly resulting in a loss in flavor. 

Fresh cooked corn 

Good source: folic acid, potassium 
and thiamine.

Contains: magnesium, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, phosphorus, niacin, zinc 
and riboflavin.

Rich source of fiber.

Creamed corn 

Good source: folic acid.

Contains: potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, niacin and phosphorus.

yellow cornmeal (whole grain)

Excellent source: magnesium, thiamine, iron and potassium.

Good source: phosphorus, zinc, niacin and vitamin B6.

Contains: riboflavin, folic acid, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin A.

Very rich source of fiber.


cornmeal (degermed)

Good source: folacin and magnesium.

Contains: vitamin B6, potassium, niacin, thiamine, zinc, iron and phosphorus. 

corn flour (whole grain) 

Excellent source: magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

Good source: vitamin B6, thiamine, zinc 
and iron.

Contains: niacin, copper, folic acid, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and vitamin A.

Very rich source of fiber.

Corn bran

Contains: magnesium and iron.

Very rich source of fiber. 

Corn germ

Excellent source: magnesium, phosphorus, thiamine, potassium and zinc.

Good source: vitamin B6 and iron.

Contains: riboflavin, folic acid and copper.


Fresh corn, boiled or dried, is deficient in lysine and tryptophan, the amino acids that make up proteins. It is the only cereal that contains vitamin A (yellow varieties). People who get almost all their nutrients from corn often suffer from a niacin deficiency.

Cooking

Ears of corn are cooked with or without their leaves.

Baked or grilled: wrap husked corn in aluminum foil (35 min at 425°F/220°C).

Steamed: 20 min. Avoid salting or overcooking corn, as it toughens and 
loses flavor.

Boiled: immerse the ears in boiling water to which a very small amount of sugar has been added, leaving on a few leaves from the husk and adding a little milk or beer (3-4 min for small ears and 5-7 min for larger ones).

Pressure-cooked: in 1 cup (250 ml) of liquid (3-5 min).

Microwaved: 3 min on the highest setting for 1 ear. Let stand for 5 min.

Storing

Eat fresh corn as soon as possible, preferably on the same day as it 
is bought.

At room temperature: keep cornmeal 
and corn flour in a cool and dry place, in 
airtight containers.

In the fridge: if eating at a later time. Do not remove the husks. If it is husked, keep in a plastic bag. Keep whole grain cornmeal and corn flour in airtight containers.

In the freezer: 1 year, blanch 7-11 min, depending on size; 3 months, blanch 4 min then remove the kernels. Whole grain cornmeal and corn flour keep 1-2 years.

Fresh corn can be canned.

Browse other cereals and grains: Introduction | Wheat | Seitan | Buckwheat | Oats | Barley | Millet | Rice | Wild rice | Quinoa | Rye | Amaranth | Triticale | Corn | Popping corn | Bread | Flour | Pasta | Asian noodles

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For more information on corn, visit Britannica.com.

Zea mays occupies a larger area than any other grain crop in the United States, where 60% of the world production is grown. Although corn is grown in the United States primarily for livestock feed, about 10% is used for the manufacture of starch, sugar, corn meal, breakfast cereals, oil, alcohol, and several other specialized products. In many tropical countries, corn is used primarily for human consumption.

As a crop

The origin of corn is still unsettled, but the most widely held hypothesis assumes that corn developed from its wild relative teosinte (Z. mexicana) through a combination of favorable mutations, recognized and selectively propagated by early humans. Corn migrated from its center of origin, presumed to be Mexico or Central America, and was being cultivated by the Indians as far north as New England upon the arrival of the first European colonists, whose survival was due largely to the use of corn as food.

Botanically, corn is a member of the grass family. Each form (botanical variety) is conditioned by fairly few genetic differences, and each may exhibit the full range of differences in color, plant type, maturity, and so on, characteristic of the species. All types have the same number of chromosomes (10 pairs), and all may be intercrossed to produce fertile progeny. Dent corns are the most important in the United States. Sweet corn is grown more extensively in the United States than in any other country. It is eaten as fresh corn or canned or frozen. In other countries, flint, dent, or flour corns may be eaten fresh, but at a much more mature stage than the sweet corn eaten in the United States. The commercial production of popcorn is almost exclusively American. See also Cyperales; Genetics; Reproduction (plant).

Corn is a cross-pollinated plant; the staminate (male) and pistillate (female) inflorescences (flower clusters) are borne on separate parts of the same plant (see illustration). Plants of this type are called monoecious. The staminate inflorescence is the tassel; it produces pollen that is carried by the wind to the silks produced on the ears.

A corn plant in full tassel and silk. The tassel produces pollen that is blown by wind to the silks. (Courtesy of J. W. McManigal)

The development of varieties and strains of corn made possible the extension of its culture under diverse soil and climatic conditions. However, modern research methods led to the present widespread use of hybrid corn. Hybrid corn is the first generation of cross involving inbred lines. Inbred lines are developed by controlled self-pollination. When continued for several generations, self-pollination leads to reduction in vigor but permits the isolation of types which are genetically pure or homozygous. Intense selection is practiced during the inbreeding phase to identify and maintain genotypes having the desired plant and ear type and maturity characteristics, and relative freedom from insect and disease attacks. Crosses involving any two unrelated lines will exhibit heterosis, that is, yields above the means of the two parents. See also Breeding (plant); Heterosis.

Planting dates depend upon temperature and soil conditions. Germination is very slow at soil temperatures of 50°F (10°C), and seedling growth is limited at temperatures of 60°F (16°C) or below. Planting rates are influenced by water supply, soil type, and fertility and by the maturity characteristics of the hybrid grown. With planting rates above 16,000 plants per acre (40,000 per hectare), drilling in rows 24–36 in. (60–90 cm) apart has become common practice. The use of nitrogen fertilizer has increased greatly; lesser amounts of phosphorus and potash are applied as needed.

In the 1930s most corn was husked by hand, and the ears were stored in slatted cribs. The mechanical picker supplanted hand harvesting. The mechanical picker, in turn, has been replaced by the picker-sheller or corn combine, which harvests the crop as shelled grain. When harvested as shelled grain, at a relatively high moisture content (20–30%), the grain must be dried artificially for safe storage. High-moisture corn to be used for livestock feed may be stored in airtight silos or may be treated with certain chemical preservatives such as propionic acid. Corn stored under either of these systems is not suitable either for industrial processing or for seed. See also Agricultural machinery.

Corn is highly productive largely because it can use solar energy so efficiently. The corn plant grows vegetatively until about silking, after which all weight increase is in the form of grain. Almost the entire grain yield results from photosynthesis during the grain growth period, which runs from silking to maturity. Contrary to much popular opinion, grain yields are highest under cool conditions, when the lengthened grain growth period more than compensates for the slower growth rate. Relationships among solar radiation, temperature, growing-season length, soil moisture, day length, soil fertility, and corn genotype in producing grain yields are complex and not well understood. Attempts to study the system as a whole, using simulation models on digital computers, may add considerably to knowledge of the subject.

Processing

Corn kernels (seeds) are subjected to both wet and dry milling. The goal of both processes is to separate the germ, the endosperm, and the pericarp (hull).

Wet milling separates the chemical constituents of corn into starch, protein, oil, and fiber fractions, the primary objective being to produce refined corn starch. Worldwide, the production of nutritive sweeteners is the largest use for the starch obtained from corn. The manufacture of corn sweeteners begins with the wet milling process. The starch is first cooked, or pasted. Then, the starch polymers are hydrolyzed (depolymerized) using an acid, an enzyme, a combination of enzymes, or an acid-enzyme combination. The resulting solutions are refined and concentrated to 70–80% solids. These syrups are known worldwide as glucose syrups, but in the United States are often called corn syrups. When starch is completely hydrolyzed, that is, converted into its monomer units, the only product is D-glucose (dextrose), which can be crystallized from concentrated solutions. Isomerization of some of the D-glucose in a high-glucose hydrolyzate to D-fructose produces high-fructose corn syrups (HFCS), which are known simply as high-fructose syrups (HFS) outside the United States. Fructose is approximately 20% sweeter than sucrose on an equal weight basis.

Corn starch is less extensively depolymerized to make products other than sweeteners. Very slight hydrolysis makes products known as acid-modified or thin-boiling starches. A little more modification with an acid produces dextrins. One application is as remoistenable adhesives on envelopes. Hydrolysis catalyzed by acid or enzymes produces starch oligomers, which are known as maltooligosaccharides or maltodextrins. Maltodextrins are used extensively in foods for their bulking and binding properties and the protection they give to frozen foods. Hydrolysis gives mixtures of breakdown products that, when dried, are known as corn syrup solids. Corn syrup solids dissolve rapidly, are mildly sweet, and are used as bulking materials in food.

Most of the processing of dry-milled corn is done by tempering-degerming systems. Cleaned kernels are transferred to a tempering bin, where they are held for various times at various temperatures depending on the miller and the desired product. Tempered kernels are passed through a degerminator, which removes the bran (pericarp) and germ while leaving the endosperm intact. The endosperm may be converted into as many as 16 different fractions. The main products are regular grits, coarse grits, flaking grits, and corn flour. Other products are corn cones and corn meal.

Nixtamalization is the process of cooking and soaking corn kernels in water containing calcium hydroxide (lime) to soften the pericarp and hydrate the protein matrix and starch of the endosperm. The cooked, steeped product, called nixtamal, is then ground, using stone attrition mills. The product, masa, is sheeted, cut into pieces, and baked, producing tortillas, tortilla chips, taco shells, and corn chips. See also Food engineering; Food manufacturing.

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Term used in the UK for wheat, in the USA for maize, and sometimes for oats in Scotland and Ireland, originally any grain. See also maize.

A hard pad of skin that develops on or between the toes as a result of friction or pressure. It is often caused by shoes that do not fit properly. The corn has a small fluid sac below the hard pad that allows the pad to slide back and forth without damaging the underlying tissue. Pressure on top of the corn (e.g. from a shoe) pushes it downward causing pain. Corns can be treated with warm water or other softening agents. Also, the pressure on the corn can be relieved by using specially designed pads. Radical treatment by surgical resectioning of the bone underlying the corn, is generally reserved for very difficult cases that do not respond to other forms of treatment.

Throughout Europe, "corn" has always been the generic name for any of the cereal grains; Europeans call corn maize, a derivative of the early American Indian word mahiz. In fact, before settlers came to the New World Europeans had never seen this food-called Indian corn by colonists. What a wonderfully versatile and useful gift the Indians gave the world. Everything on the corn plant can be used: the husks for tamales, the silk for medicinal tea, the kernels for food and the stalks for fodder. Corn is not only a popular food, but the foundation of many by-products including bourbon, corn flour, cornmeal, corn oil, cornstarch, corn syrup, corn whiskey and laundry starch. The multicolored Indian corn-used today mainly for decoration- has red, blue, brown and purple kernels. Horticulturists developed the two most popular varieties today-white (Country Gentleman) and yellow (Golden Bantam) corn. Yellow corn has larger, fuller- flavored kernels; white corn kernels are smaller and sweeter. The hybrid butter and sugar corn produces ears of yellow and white kernels. The peak season for fresh corn is May through September. As soon as it's picked, the corn's sugar immediately begins its gradual conversion to starch which, in turn, lessens the corn's natural sweetness. Therefore, it's important to buy corn as soon after it's picked as possible. Look for ears with bright green, snugly fitting husks and golden brown silk. The kernels should be plump and milky, and come all the way to the ear's tip; the rows should be tightly spaced. Fresh corn should be cooked and served the day it's purchased, but it can be refrigerated up to a day. Strip off the husks and silk just before cooking. Corn can also be purchased canned or frozen. Tiny baby corn, particularly popular with Thai and Chinese cooks, can be purchased in cans or jars. Unfortunately, its flavor bears little resemblance to the fresh (or even frozen) vegetable. hominy is specially processed kernels of corn. See also popcorn.

Origin: 1608

To English speakers at the time of the first colonies, corn meant grain--the staff of life. The main grain was known simply as corn; all lesser grains had particular names. So in England, where wheat was chiefly cultivated, corn meant wheat; in Scotland and Ireland, corn meant oats. Crossing over to America, English adventurers found a different staff of life cultivated by the Indians. The native American grain, with big juicy kernels in rows around a central core, immediately became the essential crop of the new settlers as well, so it preempted the designation corn. Even today, though the United States grows vast quantities of wheat, oats, sorghum, barley, and rice, corn remains in first place as the chief grain crop of North America.

To distinguish our corn from the European grains, and in recognition of those who first cultivated it, the English later called this grand new grain by the fuller name Indian corn. That term is attested in a London document of 1617. Meanwhile, the only way wheat could be called corn in America was in the designation English corn, used in the Plymouth colony of New England as early as 1629.

But from the start, the native American grain was dominant enough that corn alone would do for it. In 1608, telling of the difficulties of the first permanent English colony in the summer of 1607, Captain John Smith wrote, "Shortly after, it pleased God (in our extremity) to move the Indians to bring us Corne, ere it was half ripe, to refresh us, when we rather expected when they would destroy us."

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Maize (Zea mays L.), otherwise known as corn, is a highly unusual, economically important, and genetically well-characterized member of the grass family. It is believed to have originated some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago in the fields of the first agriculturalists of Mexico and Central America. These early farmers carefully selected traits that would ultimately transform the tiny, sparsely seeded spike of a wild grass into the large cob bearing many rows of kernels that we recognize today as an ear of corn.

The success of these early plant breeders was manifested by the spread of corn cultivation throughout the New World, long before the arrival of Europeans. Today, maize is grown in more countries than any other crop, and is a major source of food for both humans and domesticated animals throughout the world. The world production of maize in 2000 exceeded 23 billion bushels, the largest producer being the United States (43 percent).

Early Studies of Maize

As a major crop plant, maize was already the subject of study by plant breeders at the time of the rediscovery of Mendel's laws of inheritance at the beginning of the twentieth century. The inheritance patterns of readily observed traits were uncovered through controlled crosses and the examination of progeny. In many respects, maize was an ideal model system for this early period in the study of genetics. Male and female flowers are borne separately and are easily manipulated for controlled crosses. Large amounts of pollen are produced in the tassels (male inflorescence) over a period of days, and one ear (female inflorescence) contains many seeds (kernels). Large progeny arrays could be produced in one season.

The high genetic diversity of maize provided many interesting mutant phenotypes to study, many of which were recessive. These could be maintained in a heterozygous state by the outcrossed breeding system (most fertilizations are the result of pollen transfer among plants) and easily uncovered by selfing (fertilizations that result from a plant's own pollen). There was also ample scope for selection of extreme phenotypes in continuous (quantitative) traits. A drawback for maize, compared to short-lived fruit flies, is that it only produces one or two crops per year, depending on location. However, many early maize geneticists knew that kernel phenotypes, which were discernable at harvest time, often predicted phenotypes in the adult plants, and could be used to set up the following season's crosses.

One of the earliest breakthroughs in crop breeding was the detection of hybrid vigor in maize by George Harrison Shull in 1908. He found that the progeny of two inbred lines were more productive than their wind-pollinated progenitors. This discovery provided the stimulus for the commercial propagation of maize and made it one of the most productive food plants worldwide.

Later Maize Studies

Many important genetic discoveries were made in maize by a group of scientists brought together at Cornell University in the 1920s and 30s by R. A. Emerson, who is often referred to as the spiritual father of maize genetics. The Emerson group, which included the future Nobel laureates Barbara McClintock and George Beadle, laid the foundation of maize genetics. They assembled information on maize mutants and ultimately produced the first genetic map of maize, based on linkage studies, in 1935. McClintock's first major contribution occurred early in her career (1929), when she perfected the techniques used to visualize maize chromosomes under the microscope. This allowed individual chromosomes to be identified by size, form, and features such as the highly staining regions, called "knobs."

This milestone allowed McClintock and other members of the Emerson group to make major advances in cytogenetics, which combines genetic crossing data and cytological landmarks to locate genes on chromosomes. Cytological landmarks include trisomics, reciprocal translocations, and deficiencies. Another of McClintock's breakthroughs, achieved with the collaboration of her colleague Harriet Creighton, was to establish the cytological proof of crossing over, which refers to the exchange of chromosomal segments during meiosis. Of course, McClintock's most famous discovery was that genetic elements within the genome can move (transpose) from one locus on the chromosome to another. These "jumping genes" (transposable genetic elements of transposons) were later discovered in bacteria, flies, and humans and eventually resulted in McClintock receiving a Nobel Prize in 1983.

In recent years, transposable elements have been exploited as tools for understanding the function of many maize genes. If a transposon inserts into a gene, it will disrupt the function of that gene. The disruption of gene function may result in a mutant phenotype affecting tissues or developmental stages of the plant that give some indication of the function of that gene. For instance, a transposon that inserts into a gene required for chlorophyll production would result in an albino seedling. Because the DNA sequences of many transposable elements in maize are known, they provide convenient molecular tags with which to clone and further characterize the gene into which they have inserted. Corn transposons have also been adapted to mutagenize and "tag" genes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Bibliography

Dold, Catherine. "The Corn War." Discover (December 1997): 109-113.

Fedoroff, Nina, and David Botstein, eds. The Dynamic Genome: Barbara McClintock's Ideas in the Century of Genetics. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1992.

Kass, Lee B. "Barbara McClintock: American Botanical Geneticist (1902-1992)." In Plant Sciences for Students, vol. 3. New York: Macmillan Publishing, 2000.

Keller, Evelyn Fox. A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, 1983.

Rhoades, Marcus M. "The Early Years of Maize Genetics." Annual Review of Genetics 18 (1984): 1-29.

—Denise E. Costich

A hard pad of skin that develops on or between the toes as a result of friction or pressure. It is often caused by ill-fitting shoes. The corn has a small fluid sac below the hard pad that allows the pad to slide back and forth without damaging the underlying tissue. Pressure on top of the corn pushes the sac downward causing pain. Corns can be treated with warm water or other softening agents. The pressure on the corn can be relieved by using specially designed pads or plasters. Radical treatment by surgical resectioning of the bone underlying the corn, is generally reserved for very difficult cases that do not respond to other forms of treatment.

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This entry includes two subentries:
The Natural History of Maize
Maize As a Food

Description	Quantity	Energy (calories)	Carbs (grams)	Protein (grams)	Cholesterol (milligrams)	Weight (grams)	Fat (grams)	Saturated Fat (grams)
canned,cream style, white, no salt	1 cup	185	46	4	0	256	1	0.2
canned,cream style, white, w/salt	1 cup	185	46	4	0	256	1	0.2
canned,cream style, yellow, no salt	1 cup	185	46	4	0	256	1	0.2
canned,cream style, yellow, w/salt	1 cup	185	46	4	0	256	1	0.2
cnnd,whole kernal, white, no salt	1 cup	165	41	5	0	210	1	0.2
cnnd,whole kernal, white, w/salt	1 cup	165	41	5	0	210	1	0.2
cnnd,whole kernal, yellow, no salt	1 cup	165	41	5	0	210	1	0.2
cnnd,whole kernal, yellow, w/salt	1 cup	165	41	5	0	210	1	0.2
cooked form frozen, white	1 cup	135	34	5	0	165	0	0
cooked form frozen, white	1 ear	60	14	2	0	63	0	0.1
cooked form frozen, yellow	1 cup	135	34	5	0	165	0	0
cooked form frozen, yellow	1 ear	60	14	2	0	63	0	0.1
cooked from raw, white	1 ear	85	19	3	0	77	1	0.2
cooked from raw, yellow	1 ear	85	19	3	0	77	1	0.2

n. money.  I need some corn to pay the rent.

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IN BRIEF: Annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains.

My favorite way to eat corn is on the cob.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: Both hands make a twisting motion at the sides of the face.

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Throughout history corn has been celebrated, symbolized, sanctified, ceremonialized, ritualized and even used to describe substandard humor ("corny"). Corn dreams may thus indicate anything from nourishment to the kind of humor the dreamer may be inflicting upon others. Corn may also represent abundance, growth, or fertility.

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adjective
adjective, dated

Drunk. (1785 — 1931).

[From the use of grain in making beer and spirits.]

Previous:	cornball, corn-fed, corking
Next:	corned Willie, cornstalk, corp

a mnemonic for remembering the absolute configuration of l amino acids. When viewed along the axis of the H-Cα, the carbonyl (CO), R, and amino (N) groups spell the word CORN in a clockwise direction.

Previous:	COP9 signalosome, COP1, COP
Next:	COS cell, COSY, COUP

1. a circumscribed hyperkeratosis of the footpad of dogs, sensitive to pressure.
2. a hematoma between the sensitive laminae and horn of the sole, usually between the frog and bar, in the hoof of the horse. It is painful on pressure and a cause of lameness.
3. in USA and elsewhere Zea mays, a member of the plant family Poaceae, grown as a cereal crop bearing seeds and used as a grain feed, green chop and ensilage. Used also for human consumption as meal or flour. The grain is deficient in most essential amino acids, especially lysine and tryptophan (high-lysine varieties are available), and in calcium and cannot be used as a complete ration in pigs. It may be fed whole, cracked, flaked, roasted, as dried or as high moisture corn (contains 25% moisture). Overeating of the grain by ruminants causes carbohydrate engorgement, and of moldy standing corn causes moldy corn poisoning. Called also maize.
4. in UK triticum aestivum is also called corn.
5. the name corn is also used with other cereals such as rye corn, barley corn.

• c. cob — see cob (2). Ground into a meal it is used as a roughage of very low nutritive value in ruminant diets. Of some value as a diluent in high grain diets.
• c. cockle — agrostemma githago.
• c. oil — rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid.
• wild c. — see veratrum californicum.

For a list of words related to corn, see:

• Afflictions and Conditions - corn: area of hard or thickened skin on or between toes
• Grasses, Sedges, and Grasslike Plants
• Vegetables, Legumes, and Fungi
• Grains and Flours
• Farming and Crops - corn: tall cereal plant whose kernels are used extensively for fodder and human food; maize
• Foolishness, Bunkum, and Trifles
• Yellow

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See words rhyming with "corn."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Corn.

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - korn, majs, noget umoderne
v. tr. - salte, sprænge

idioms:

• corn bread    majsbrød
• corn cob    majskolbe
• corn exchange    kornbørs
• corn on the cob    kogt majskolbe
• corn silk    hungrifler hos majsblomsten
• corn starch    majsmel

2.
n. - ligtorn

Nederlands (Dutch)
graan, maïs, korrel, likdoorn, flauwigheid, maïswhiskey, verkorrelen, voeren met maïs, zouten

Français (French)
1.
n. - blé, (US) maïs, grain (de céréale), mièvrerie (péj)
v. tr. - se granuler, saler, saumurer, nourrir au grain (des animaux)

idioms:

• corn bread    (US) pain à base de farine de maïs
• corn cob    maïs en épi
• corn exchange    (GB) halle aux grains
• corn on the cob    grain/maïs en épi
• corn silk    soie du maïs
• corn starch    maïzena, farine de maïs

2.
n. - (Méd) cor

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Getreide, Korn
v. - salzen

idioms:

• corn bread    Maiskornbrot
• corn cob    Maiskolben
• corn exchange    Getreidebörse
• corn on the cob    Maiskolben
• corn silk    Maisfasern
• corn starch    Maismehl

2.
n. - Hühnerauge

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σίτος, σιτάρι, (ΗΠΑ) καλαμπόκι, (καθομ.) φτηνό πνεύμα, σαχλαμάρα, κοινοτοπία, φτηνός συναισθηματισμός, κάλος, ρόζος
v. - (μαγειρ.) παστώνω

idioms:

• corn bread    (μαγειρ.) μπομπότα
• corn cob    κοτσάνι καλαμποκιού
• corn exchange    (οικον.) χρηματιστήριο σίτου ή δημητριακών
• corn on the cob    ψημένο καλαμπόκι
• corn silk    θύσανος καλαμποκιού (χρησιμεύει για την παρασκευή διουρητικού αφεψήματος)
• corn starch    καλαμποκάλευρο

Italiano (Italian)
salare, callo, granturco, giallo oro

idioms:

• corn bread    focaccia di granturco
• corn cob    pannocchia
• corn exchange    mercato dei cereali
• corn on the cob    pannocchia arrosta/bollita
• corn silk    peluria del tutolo
• corn starch    fecola di mais
• tread on someone's corns    pestare i piedi a, pungere sul vivo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - milho (m) (Bot.), grão (m), uísque (m) (coloq.)
v. - granular, alimentar (gado)

idioms:

• corn bread    broa (f) de milho
• corn cob    espiga (f) de milho
• corn exchange    bolsa (f) de cereais
• corn on the cob    milho na espiga
• corn silk    barba (f) de milho
• corn starch    amido (m) de milho
• tread on someone's corns    ferir os sentimentos de alguém (fig.)

Русский (Russian)
сентиментальщина, пшеница, кукуруза, зерно, мозоль, кукурузный

idioms:

• corn bread    кукурузный хлеб
• corn cob    кукурузный початок без зерен
• corn exchange    хлебная биржа
• corn on the cob    кукурузный початок
• corn silk    рыльца
• corn starch    кукурузный крахмал
• tread on someone's corns    дразнить, оскорблять

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - trigo, trivial, banal, de bajo nivel
v. tr. - salar, curar con sal

idioms:

• corn bread    pan de maíz
• corn cob    mazorca de maíz, choclo, elote
• corn exchange    bolsa de cereales
• corn on the cob    mazorca de maíz hervida
• corn silk    barba de choclo
• corn starch    almidón de maíz, maicena

2.
n. - callo, ojo de gallo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - säd, spannmål, vete (britt.), havre (skotsk. o irl.), majs (am.), sädeskorn, pepparkorn, liktorn
v. - salta, konservera

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 小麦, 玉米, 谷物, 谷粒, 使成粒状, 播种

idioms:

• corn bread    玉米面包
• corn cob    玉米棒子, 玉米穗轴
• corn exchange    谷物交易市场
• corn on the cob    玉米棒子
• corn silk    玉米的穗丝
• corn starch    玉米淀粉

2. 鸡眼

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 雞眼

2.
n. - 小麥, 玉米, 穀物, 穀粒
v. tr. - 使成粒狀, 播種
v. tr. - 使成粒狀, 播種

idioms:

• corn bread    玉米麵包
• corn cob    玉米心, 玉米穗軸
• corn exchange    穀物交易市場
• corn on the cob    玉米棒子
• corn silk    玉米的穗絲
• corn starch    玉米澱粉

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 옥수수, 곡물, 낟알
v. tr. - 알갱이로 만들다, 소금에 절여 보존하다, 곡물을 먹이다

2.
n. - 티눈

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - トウモロコシ, 小麦, 穀物, 穀粒, うおのめ

idioms:

• corn bread    トウモロコシパン
• corn cob    トウモロコシの穂軸
• corn exchange    穀物取引所
• corn on the cob    軸付きトウモロコシ
• corn silk    トウモロコシの毛
• corn starch    コーンスターチ, トウモロコシ澱粉

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ذرة, أذرة, مسمار في القدم (فعل) يحول الى مسحوق, يحفظ بواسطه الملح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮דגן, תבואה, תירס, גרעין‬
v. tr. - ‮שימר (בשר) במלח, האכיל בדגן, זרע דגן‬
n. - ‮יבלת‬

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