A cereal grain, especially maize in American usage or wheat and other grains in British usage. Can also refer to a small, painful area of thickened skin on the foot.
From Old English 'corn' meaning 'grain, seed', related to Latin 'granum' (grain). In America, it specifically came to mean maize after European contact with indigenous peoples who cultivated this crop extensively.
The word 'corn' showcases fascinating regional linguistic differences - Americans say 'corn' for maize while Britons say 'sweetcorn', and both use 'corn' for grain generally. This reflects how the same language adapts to different agricultural and cultural contexts across continents.
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