Corns

/kɔrnz/ noun

Definition

Plural of corn: either a hard, painful bump of skin usually on the foot, or kernels of corn grain.

Etymology

From Old English 'corn,' related to Germanic roots meaning 'grain.' The word has been used for both the cereal grain and the skin ailment since medieval times.

Kelly Says

It's fascinating that 'corn' has two completely different meanings that both stuck around—the foot condition was named because it looked like a small grain of corn, but the grain meaning is actually the older original use!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.