Kern

Kern  (kûrn), Jerome David 1885-1945.

American composer of numerous musicals, including Show Boat (1927), and more than a thousand songs, such as "Ol' Man River" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."

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kern ¹ also kerne  (kûrn)

n.

1. A medieval Scottish or Irish foot soldier.

2. A loutish person.

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[Middle English kerne, from Middle Irish ceithern, ceithernn, band of soldiers, from Old Irish.]

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kern ²  (kûrn) Printing

n.

The portion of a typeface that projects beyond the body or shank of a character.

tr.v. kerned, kern·ing, kerns

1. To provide (type) with a kern.

2. To adjust space between (characters) in typeset text.

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[French carne, corner, from Old North French, from Latin card, cardin-, hinge.]

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Kern [kɜːn]

n

(Biographies / Kern, Jerome (David) (1885-1945) M, US, MUSIC: composer) Jerome (David). 1885-1945, US composer of musical comedies, esp Show Boat (1927)

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kern¹, kerne [kɜːn]

n

(Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) the part of the character on a piece of printer's type that projects beyond the body

vb

(Communication Arts / Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (tr) to furnish (a typeface) with a kern

[from French carne corner of type, projecting angle, ultimately from Latin cardō hinge]

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kern²

n

1. (Historical Terms) a lightly armed foot soldier in medieval Ireland or Scotland

2. (Historical Terms) a troop of such soldiers

3. Archaic a loutish peasant

[from Middle Irish cethern band of foot soldiers, from cath battle]

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kern³

n

(Engineering / General Engineering) Engineering the central area of a wall, column, etc., through which all compressive forces pass

[from German Kern core, heart]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Kern - United States composer of musical comedies (1885-1945) Jerome David Kern, Jerome Kern
	2.	kern - the part of a metal typeface that projects beyond its body type - a small metal block bearing a raised character on one end; produces a printed character when inked and pressed on paper; "he dropped a case of type, so they made him pick them up"
Verb	1.	kern - furnish with a kern printing process, printing - reproduction by applying ink to paper as for publication furnish, provide, supply, render - give something useful or necessary to; "We provided the room with an electrical heater" kern - remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters)
	2.	kern - remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters) printing process, printing - reproduction by applying ink to paper as for publication get rid of, remove - dispose of; "Get rid of these old shoes!"; "The company got rid of all the dead wood" kern - furnish with a kern