Definition

1. Noun:
   • The hard, central, cylindrical part of an ear of corn (maize) on which the kernels (seeds) grow in rows.

Usage

• The word "corn cob" is a compound noun. It refers specifically to the inedible, fibrous core that remains after the kernels have been removed.
• It is the structural part of the ear that holds the grains.

Examples

• Noun:
  • After shucking the corn, we boiled the ears and then removed the kernels from the corn cob.
  • The children used dried corn cobs for a craft project.
  • He threw the empty corn cob into the compost pile.

Advanced Usage

• "Corn cob" as a modifier: The term can be used attributively to describe objects made from or resembling a corn cob.
  • He smokes a corn cob pipe. (A pipe made from a dried corn cob.)
  • The tool had a corn cob texture for better grip. (A texture resembling the bumpy surface of a corn cob.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cob (noun): A common short form for "corn cob".
  • Save the cobs to make vegetable stock.
• Corncob (noun): A common alternative spelling, written as one word.
• Ear of corn (noun phrase): The entire fruiting body of the maize plant, consisting of the kernels arranged on the cob and enclosed by husks.

Synonyms

• Core (of an ear of corn)
• Stalk (specifically the central, seed-bearing part; note: "stalk" more generally refers to the main stem of the plant)

Related Phrases

• Corn on the cob (noun phrase): An ear of corn, especially when cooked and served with the kernels still attached to the cob for eating directly.
  • We're having grilled corn on the cob for dinner.

Noun

1. the hard cylindrical core that bears the kernels of an ear of corn