Now chiefly dial. Forms: 3–4 curne, 4 kurne, 4–7 kerne, 7 kearn, (quern), 7– kern. [ME. kerne, curne (cf. G. körnen, kürnen, Norw. kyrna), app. repr. OE. *cyrnan:—OTeut. *kurnjan, f. kurno-: see CORN sb.1
An OE. cyrnian is app. implied in the obscure gloss ʓecyrnode (cambas) in Napier’s O. E. Glosses, 26/15.]
1. intr. Of corn: To form the hard grains in the ear, to seed; = CORN v. 6. Also of fruit: To set.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10044. Þe þridde time þo grene corn in somer ssolde curne.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 141. Reyne … makyth herbis … cornys, treis and rootes sprynge, blowe, and kerne.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Granar, to kerne as corne doth, in grana durescere.
1699. Poor Man’s Plea, 5. The continued good Weather … gave the Corn so much time to knit and kearn, as they call it.
1744–50. W. Ellis, Mod. Husbandm., III. I. 150. Unless wheat blooms well, it cannot kern well.
1880. W. Cornwall Gloss., s.v. Kerned, ‘The apple blowths have kerned.’
1897. Blackmore, Dariel, 63. While the corn began to kern.
† b. trans. To make into hard grains. Obs.
a. 1571. Jewel, Serm. Matt. ix. 37–8. The corn … was ripened, and kerned by the Spirit of God.
a. 1722. Lisle, Husb. (1752), 159. I told in those chests five compleat grains full kerned.
† 2. trans. To cause to granulate; to make (salt) into grains; = CORN v. 1. Obs.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 147. Salt kerned on the rocks very white.
1628. World Encomp. by Sir F. Drake, 9. Salt … is increased vpon the sands by the flowing of the sea, and the heate of the Sunne kerning the same.
1726. G. Roberts, Four Years Voy., 262. If too deep, those Hollows that the Sea flow’d up to, could not, in so short Time, kern any Salt.
b. To cover with crystalline grains of salt; to salt (meat); = CORN v. 3. Obs. exc. dial.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 333, note. If … a bird toucheth it with her wings they are kerned with salt.
1687. Rycaut, Hist. Turkes, II. 101. Masts, Yards, and Decks were querned with a white Salt.
1721. Bailey, To Kern, to corn, to salt or powder, as Beef, Pork, &c.
1886. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v. Kerned, That’ll be a beautiful bit when he’s well a kerned—not to zalt.
c. intr. Of salt, sugar, etc.: To crystallize in grains; to granulate; = CORN v. 2. Obs. exc. dial.
1657. R. Ligon, Barbadoes (1673), 90. A liquor made of water and ashes which they call Temper, without which, the Sugar would continue a Clammy substance and never kerne.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. iii. 56. The Salt begins to kern, or grain, in April.
1753. in Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v. [of salt].
1880. W. Cornwall Gloss., s.v. Kerned, Metal fixed or concreted around quartz is also said ‘to have kerned.’
¶ Halliwell’s kerne ‘to sow with corn,’ copied by later Dicts., is an error: in Purvey’s Isa. xxviii. 24, misquoted by him, the correct reading is kerue, carve. The old ed. of Roland & V. has also kerne for kerue in line 312. So in various other cases.
