dent corn

American  

noun

1. a variety of field corn, Zea mays indentata, having yellow or white kernels that become indented as they ripen.

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Etymology

Origin of dent corn

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Polenta is made from flint corn, which is coarser and holds a firmer texture, while grits are made from dent corn, which produces a finer consistency.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2023

I turned south at the farm town of Delta onto Route 348, a shoulder-less two-lane road lined with irrigation ditches and dent corn still hanging crisp on their browned stalks.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2022

Across the hemisphere, heirloom lines of corn have dwindled or died out as more productive but far less flavorful dent corn strains came into favor, particularly on large-scale farms.

From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2021

Crop progress reports from the federal Farm Service Agency generally say there are about 96 million acres planted in dent corn, compared with about 300,000 acres of popcorn annually.

From Washington Post • Sep. 18, 2020

The dent corn, again, does not appear upon the flint ear, but in some isolated instances the flint corn kernel may appear upon the dent ear.

From Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 12, March 22, 1884 A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside by Various