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Meaning & use

seed corns

noun·Advancedmedical

Last updated

UK/ˈsiːd kɔːnz/
US/ˈsiːd kɔːrnz/

Meanings

  1. nounpluralmedical

    Tiny hard, round areas of thickened skin on the foot, often between the toes, each with a small firm center.

    Grammar: Always plural in this form; for one bump say 'a seed corn' (no hyphen).

    Patterns

    • a seed corn on something
    • seed corns between the toes
    • develop seed corns

    The podiatrist said the sore spots were seed corns, not warts.

    She gets seed corns between her toes when her shoes rub.

    Unlike a corn, a seed corn is usually only a few millimeters wide.

  2. noununcountabletechnical

    Corn grown to be planted rather than eaten, kept back for the next season's crop.

    Grammar: No plural; it names the purpose of the grain, not individual grains.

    Patterns

    • save seed corn
    • seed corn for planting

    The farmers kept part of the harvest as seed corn for spring.

    Good seed corn must be stored dry so it will still sprout.

Word forms

singularseed corn

Common combinations

a seed corn between the toes
He had a seed corn between the toes that hurt when he walked.
remove a seed corn
The doctor removed the seed corn with a small blade.
treat seed corns
Soaking and filing are common ways to treat seed corns.
seed corn for planting
They set aside seed corn for planting in April.

Synonyms and how they differ

corn
A corn is the general name for this kind of hard skin; a seed corn is the small, round type, so 'corn' fits when you are not describing the size.
callus
A callus is broad, flat thickened skin, whereas a seed corn is a tiny round spot with a hard center.
clavus
This is the medical Latin term for the same hard skin lesion and appears mainly in clinical writing.

Word family

corn noun
A painful area of hard skin, usually on a toe.
corny adjective
Not related in meaning; it describes jokes or films that are old-fashioned and sentimental.
seedcorn noun
A one-word spelling of the grain kept for planting.

Commonly confused: seed corns or seed corn? seed corns or in-growing toenail?

seed corns vs seed corn

When spelled as two words it can mean either the foot bumps or grain kept for sowing; context, such as 'between the toes' or 'for planting', tells you which.

seed corns vs in-growing toenail

Both cause toe pain, but an in-growing toenail is a nail curving into the skin, not a patch of thickened skin.

Practice

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