kern

Noun · Verb

US[kurn]/kɝn/1 syllable

Synonyms: Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern

Open English WordNet

Noun (2)

United States composer of musical comedies (1885-1945)Synonyms: Jerome Kern Jerome David KernInstance of composer
the part of a metal type that projects beyond its bodyType of type

Verb (2)kerned, kerning

furnish with a kernOpposite kernMore general supply, provide
remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters)Opposite kernMore general get rid of, remove

Word of the day · Nov 2About this word

perniciousadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Kern (kẽrn), noun

Origin: Ir. ceatharnach.Cf. Cateran.

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. Thomas Babington Macaulay

Now for our Irish wars; We must supplant those rough, rug-headed kerns.— William Shakespeare

2. Any kind of boor or low-lived person. obsolete Thomas Blount

3. O. Eng. Law An idler; a vagabond. Francis Wharton

Kern noun

Type Founding A part of the face of a type which projects beyond the body, or shank, such as in certain italic letters.

Kern transitive verb [past tense & past participle Kerned; present participle & verbal noun Kerning. ]

Type Founding To form with a kern. See 2d Kern.

Kern noun

Origin: See Churn.

A churn. dialect (England)

Kern noun

Origin: AS. cweorn, cwyrn. See Quern.

A hand mill. See Quern. Dr. Samuel Johnson

Kern intransitive verb

Origin: Cf. G. kern kernel, grain; akin to E. corn. See Corn, Kernel.

1. To harden, as corn in ripening. obsolete Carew, Richard

2. To take the form of kernels; to granulate. obsolete

It is observed that rain makes the salt kern.— William Dampier

Kern noun [Written also kirn.]

Origin: Cf. D. & G. kern kernal, E. kern to harden, kernel.

Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot. 1. Kernel; corn; grain.

2. The last handful or sheaf reaped at the harvest.

3. The harvest-home.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: 1913 supplement

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

kerning kern

<text> In typography, the process of adjusting the spacing between certain pairs of characters to improve the appearance of the text. Roughly speaking, this can be thought of as equalising the area of space between adjacent characters. Each character of a proportional font has a width that includes some space on either side so that adjacent letters don't touch. Some pairs of characters such as A and V, look better if the spaces overlap slightly, bringing the characters closer together (but still not touching). In most cases, kerning reduces the spacing ("negative kerning") but some pairs like "r" and "y" look better with extra space ("positive kerning").