Definition

1. Noun (uncountable):
   • Corn that can be eaten as a vegetable while still young and soft: A type of maize (corn) harvested at an immature, "milk" stage when the kernels are tender, juicy, and high in sugar content, consumed as a vegetable.
   • A corn plant developed in order to have young ears that are sweet and suitable for eating: The specific variety of the maize plant cultivated primarily for its edible, sweet kernels, as opposed to field corn used for animal feed or industrial purposes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We had sweet corn on the cob with butter for dinner.
  • This recipe calls for two cups of frozen sweet corn.
  • The farmer's market sells the freshest sweet corn in the summer.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used to distinguish the edible vegetable from other types of corn, such as field corn or popcorn.
• It can be referred to simply as "corn" in culinary contexts, but "sweet corn" specifies the variety meant for direct human consumption.

Variants and Related Words

• Corn on the cob: An ear of sweet corn, typically boiled or grilled and served whole.
• Maize: The more formal or biological term for the cereal plant; "sweet corn" is a type of maize.
• Field corn: A variety of corn grown primarily for livestock feed, grain, or industrial products, not typically eaten fresh as a vegetable.

Synonyms

• Sugar corn
• Green corn (when referring to the fresh, immature ears)

Notes on Different Meanings

• The term sweet corn refers specifically to the vegetable form. The word corn alone can have broader meanings, including the cereal grain from any maize plant or the dominant cereal crop of a region (e.g., "wheat" in England is called corn).

Noun

1. corn that can be eaten as a vegetable while still young and soft
2. a corn plant developed in order to have young ears that are sweet and suitable for eating