kern Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun United States composer of musical comedies (1885-1945)
    Jerome Kern; Jerome David Kern.
  2. noun the part of a metal typeface that projects beyond its body
  3. verb furnish with a kern
  4. verb remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters)

WordNet

Kern noun
Etymology
Ir.ceatharnach.Cf. Cateran.
Definitions
  1. A light-armed foot soldier of the ancient militia of Ireland and Scotland; -- distinguished from gallowglass, and often used as a term of contempt. Macaulay.
    Now for our Irish wars; We must supplant those rough, rug-headed kerns. Shak.
  2. Any kind of boor or low-lived person. Obs. Blount.
  3. (O. Eng. Law) An idler; a vagabond. Wharton.
Kern noun
Definitions
  1. (Type Founding) A part of the face of a type which projects beyond the body, or shank.
Kern transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Kerned ; present participle & verbal noun Kerning
Definitions
  1. (Type Founding) To form with a kern. See 2d Kern.
Kern noun
Etymology
See Churn.
Definitions
  1. A churn. Prov. Eng.
Kern noun
Etymology
AS. cweorn, cwyrn. See Quern.
Definitions
  1. A hand mill. See Quern. Johnson.
Kern intransitive verb
Etymology
Cf. G. kern kernel, grain; akin to E. corn. See Corn, Kernel.
Definitions
  1. To harden, as corn in ripening. Obs. Carew.
  2. To take the form of kernels; to granulate. Obs.
    It is observed that rain makes the salt kern. Dampier.

Webster 1913