Definition

Noun 1. A type of corn (maize) characterized by kernels that have a hard, glassy outer layer (pericarp) surrounding a softer, starchy endosperm. This variety is distinguished by its kernel hardness and is often used for making cornmeal, grits, and animal feed.

Usage

• As a common noun: The term is used to specify a particular cultivar or type of maize based on its kernel structure.
  • Farmers in the region have traditionally grown flint maize for its durability in storage.
  • The recipe calls for flint maize because its harder kernels produce a coarser, more textured meal.

Advanced Usage

• In agricultural or botanical contexts: The term is used technically to classify maize () based on endosperm type, contrasting with dent maize, flour maize, and sweet maize.
  • The study compared the yield of flint maize to that of dent maize under drought conditions.

Variants and Related Words

• Flint corn: A fully synonymous term for flint maize.
  • Flint corn is often used for decorative purposes in autumn due to its colorful kernels.
• Zea mays indurata: The formal botanical classification for this type of maize.
• Dent maize / Dent corn: A contrasting type of maize with kernels that have a soft endosperm causing a dent at the crown of the ripe kernel.
• Flour maize / Flour corn: A type with a soft, starchy endosperm throughout the kernel.

Synonyms

• Flint corn
• Indian corn (Note: This term can sometimes refer generally to colorful varieties of maize, which are often of the flint type, but it is not a precise synonym.)

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically refers to the physical property of the kernel (hard outer layer), not to the color, which can vary. While many ornamental varieties are flint maize, not all flint maize is ornamental.
• It is a subtype of the species (maize/corn).

Noun

1. corn having kernels with a hard outer layer enclosing the soft endosperm