Printing. [For *carn, a. F. carne ‘projecting angle, nib of a quill pen,’ a northern form (for *charne):—L. cardinem hinge.] A part of a metal type projecting beyond the body or shank, as the curled head of f and tail of j, as formerly made, and parts of some italic letters. (Cf. KERNED ppl. a.2)
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, xix. ¶ 7. Every next Letter is turned with its Nick downwards, that the Kern of each Letter may lie over the Beard of its next.
1824. J. Johnson, Typogr., II. 655/1. Kern of a Letter. That part which hangs over the body or shank.
