noun · countable / uncountable · rare

kern

kern · kerns

Any part of a letter which extends into the space used by another letterAny part of a letter which extends into the space used by another letter.

UK/kɜːn/US/kɝn/

» The bad kerning on that button makes the phrase "click here" look like something much more vulgar.

Meaning

9 senses

Any part of a letter which extends into the space used by another letter.
A churn.
(countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable)A corn; grain; kernel.
(countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable)The last handful or sheaf reaped at the harvest.
(countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable)The harvest home.
(countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable)A doll or figurine raised in celebration of a successful harvest; kern-baby.
(archaic, historical)A light-armed foot soldier of the ancient militia of Ireland and Scotland; in archaic contexts often used as a term of contempt.
(Ireland, obsolete)A boor; a low person.
(UK, obsolete)An idler; a vagabond.

More definitions

the part of a metal type that projects beyond its body
United States composer of musical comedies (1885-1945)

Examples

1 sentences

The bad kerning on that button makes the phrase "click here" look like something much more vulgar.
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Origin

From Middle English curn, cooren, variant forms of Middle English corn, see English corn a

From Middle English curn, cooren, variant forms of Middle English corn, see English corn and also Dutch kern, Old High German kerno, cherno, Middle High German kerne, kern, German Kern (“core, kernel”), Old Norse kjarni, Icelandic kjarni, Danish kjerne, Swedish kärna (“core, kernel”); see also kernel.

From French carne (“corner; projecting angle; quill of a pen”), from Latin cardinem (“hinge”) or from Etymology 1. The verb is a back-formation from kerned, which is from the noun. Doublet of cardo.

From Middle English kerne, from Middle Irish ceithern. Doublet of quaternion.

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