Keratode noun See Keratose .

Keratogenous adjective [ Greek ke`ras , -atos , horn + -genous .] Producing horn; as, the keratogenous membrane within the horny hoof of the horse.

Keratoidea noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ke`ras , -atos , horn + -oid .] (Zoology) Same as Keratosa .

Keratome noun [ Greek ke`ras , horn + ... to cut.] (Surg.) An instrument for dividing the cornea in operations for cataract.

Keratonyxis noun [ Greek ke`ras , -atos , horn + ... puncture.] (Medicine) The operation of removing a cataract by thrusting a needle through the cornea of the eye, and breaking up the opaque mass.

Keratophyte noun [ Greek ke`ras , -atos , a horn + ... a plant.] (Zoology) A gorgonian coral having a horny axis.

Keratosa noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ke`ras , -atos , a horn.] (Zoology) An order of sponges having a skeleton composed of hornlike fibers. It includes the commercial sponges.

Keratose noun [ Greek ke`ras , -atos , horn.] (Physiol. Chem.) A tough, horny animal substance entering into the composition of the skeleton of sponges, and other invertebrates; -- called also keratode .

Keratose adjective (Zoology) Containing hornlike fibers or fibers of keratose; belonging to the Keratosa.

Keraunograph noun [ Greek ... thunderbolt + graph .] A figure or picture impressed by lightning upon the human body or elsewhere. -- Ker`au*nog"ra*phy noun

Kerb noun See Curb .

Kerbstone noun See Curbstone .

Kercher noun A kerchief. [ Obsolete]

He became . . . white as a kercher .

Sir T. North.

Kerchered adjective Covered, or bound round, with a kercher. [ Obsolete] G. Fletcher.

Kerchief noun ; plural Kerchiefs . [ Middle English coverchef , Old French cuevrechief , couvrechef , French couvrechef , a head covering, from couvrir to cover + Old French chief head, French chef . See Cover , Chief , and confer Curfew .]
1. A square of fine linen worn by women as a covering for the head; hence, anything similar in form or material, worn for ornament on other parts of the person; -- mostly used in compounds; as, nec kerchief ; breast kerchief ; and later, hand kerchief .

He might put on a hat, a muffler, and a kerchief , and so escape.

Shak.

Her black hair strained away
To a scarlet kerchief caught beneath her chin.

Mrs. Browning.

2. A lady who wears a kerchief. Dryden.

Kerchiefed, Kerchieft adjective Dressed; hooded; covered; wearing a kerchief. Milton.

Kerf noun [ Anglo-Saxon cyrf a cutting off, from ceorfan to cut, carve. See Carve .] A notch, channel, or slit made in any material by cutting or sawing.

Kerite noun [ Greek ke`ras , horn.] A compound in which tar or asphaltum combined with animal or vegetable oils is vulcanized by sulphur, the product closely resembling rubber; -- used principally as an insulating material in telegraphy. Knight.

Kerl noun See Carl .

Kermes noun [ Arabic & Persian girmiz . See Crimson , and confer Alkermes .]
1. (Zoology) The dried bodies of the females of a scale insect ( Coccus ilicis ), allied to the cochineal insect, and found on several species of oak near the Mediterranean. They are round, about the size of a pea, contain coloring matter analogous to carmine, and are used in dyeing. They were anciently thought to be of a vegetable nature, and were used in medicine. [ Written also chermes .]

2. (Botany) A small European evergreen oak ( Quercus coccifera ) on which the kermes insect ( Coccus ilicis ) feeds. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).

Kermes mineral . (a) (Old Chem.) An artificial amorphous trisulphide of antimony; -- so called on account of its red color . (b) (Med. Chem.) A compound of the trioxide and trisulphide of antimony, used in medicine. This substance occurs in nature as the mineral kermesite .

Kermes noun (Zoology) [ New Latin ] A genus of scale insects including many species that feed on oaks. The adult female resembles a small gall.

Kermesse noun [ French] See Kirmess .

Kern noun [ Ir. ceatharnach .Cf. Cateran . ]
1. A light-armed foot soldier of the ancient militia of Ireland and Scotland; -- distinguished from gallowglass , and often used as a term of contempt. Macaulay.

Now for our Irish wars;
We must supplant those rough, rug-headed kerns .

Shak.

2. Any kind of boor or low-lived person. [ Obsolete] Blount.

3. (O. Eng. Law) An idler; a vagabond. Wharton.

Kern noun (Type Founding) A part of the face of a type which projects beyond the body, or shank.

Kern transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Kerned ; present participle & verbal noun Kerning . ] (Type Founding) To form with a kern. See 2d Kern .

Kern noun [ See Churn . ] A churn. [ Prov. Eng.]

Kern noun [ Anglo-Saxon cweorn , cwyrn . See Quern . ] A hand mill. See Quern . Johnson.

Kern intransitive verb [ Confer German kern kernel, grain; akin to English corn . See Corn , Kernel . ]
1. To harden, as corn in ripening. [ Obsolete] Carew.

2. To take the form of kernels; to granulate. [ Obsolete]

It is observed that rain makes the salt kern .

Dampier.

Kern noun [ Written also kirn .] [ Confer D. & German kern kernal, English kern to harden, kernel .] [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
1. Kernel; corn; grain.

2. The last handful or sheaf reaped at the harvest.

3. The harvest-home.

Kern baby A doll or image decorated with corn (grain) flowers, etc., carried in the festivals of a kern, or harvest- home. Called also harvest queen .

Kerned adjective (Print.) Having part of the face projecting beyond the body or shank; -- said of type. "In Roman, f and j are the only kerned letters." MacKellar.

Kernel noun [ Middle English kernel , kirnel , curnel , Anglo-Saxon cyrnel , from corn grain. See Corn , and confer Kern to harden.]
1. The essential part of a seed; all that is within the seed walls; the edible substance contained in the shell of a nut; hence, anything included in a shell, husk, or integument; as, the kernel of a nut. See Illust. of Endocarp .

' A were as good crack a fusty nut with no kernel

Shak.

2. A single seed or grain; as, a kernel of corn.

3. A small mass around which other matter is concreted; a nucleus; a concretion or hard lump in the flesh.

4. The central, substantial or essential part of anything; the gist; the core; as, the kernel of an argument.

Kernel intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Kerneled or Kernelled ; present participle & verbal noun Kerneling or Kernelling .] To harden or ripen into kernels; to produce kernels.

Kerneled, Kernelled adjective Having a kernel.

Kernelly adjective Full of kernels; resembling kernels; of the nature of kernels. Holland.

Kernish adjective [ From Kern a boor.] Clownish; boorish. [ Obsolete] "A petty kernish prince." Milton.

Kerolite noun (Min.) Same as Cerolite .

Kerosene noun [ Greek ... wax.] An oil used for illuminating purposes, formerly obtained from the distillation of mineral wax, bituminous shale, etc., and hence called also coal oil . It is now produced in immense quantities, chiefly by the distillation and purification of petroleum. It consists chiefly of several hydrocarbons of the methane series.

Kers, Kerse noun A cress. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Not worth a kers . See under Cress .

Kersey noun ; plural Kerseys . [ Prob. from the town of Kersey in Suffolk, Eng.] A kind of coarse, woolen cloth, usually ribbed, woven from wool of long staple.

Kerseymere noun [ For cassimere , confounded with kersey .] See Cassimere .

Kerseynette noun See Cassinette .

Kerseys noun plural Varieties of kersey; also, trousers made of kersey.

Kerve transitive verb To carve. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Kerver noun A carver. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Kesar noun See Kaiser . [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Keslop (kĕs"lŏp) noun [ Anglo-Saxon cēselib , or cȳslyb , milk curdled; confer German käselab , käselippe . See Cheese , and confer Cheeselep .] The stomach of a calf, prepared for rennet. Halliwell.

Kess transitive verb To kiss. [ Obsolete] Chaucer

Kest imperfect of Cast . [ Obsolete]

Kestrel (kĕs"trĕl) noun [ See Castrel .] (Zoology) A small, slender European hawk ( Falco alaudarius ), allied to the sparrow hawk. Its color is reddish fawn, streaked and spotted with white and black. Also called windhover and stannel . The name is also applied to other allied species.

» This word is often used in contempt, as of a mean kind of hawk. "Kites and kestrels have a resemblance with hawks." Bacon.