kern

1. (hot metal printing, typography) Any part of a letter which extends into the space used by another letter.Examples: "A few types have a portion of the face letter projecting over the body, as in the letter f ; this projection is called the kern, and in combination with other letters the projecting part generally extends over the next letter, as in fe. In those combinations, wherein the kern would come in contact with another letter, compound types are cast, as in the case of ff, fi, fl, ffi, ffl."

1. (typography, chiefly proportional font printing) To adjust the horizontal space between selected pairs of letters (characters or glyphs); to perform such adjustments to a portion of text, according to preset rules.Examples: "If you need to kern anything beyond the most commonly used pairs, you can use applications software such as Adobe PageMaker to customize pairs."; "Especially consider kerning if you are printing on a relatively high-resolution printer, such as a 600-dpi (dots per inch) laser printer."; "Remember, the goal of kerning is to make letter pairs look natural, not necessarily to minimize letterspaces."

1. (archaic or historical) A light-armed foot soldier of the ancient militia of Ireland and Scotland; in archaic contexts often used as a term of contempt.Examples: "O then belike she was old and gentle; and you rode like a kern of Ireland, your French hose off and in your strait strossers."; "‘O haste thee, and from Allan learn / If thou mayst trust yon wily kern.’"; "There he entertained Shan O'Neil, a famous, turbulent chief from Ireland, who late in this year visited Elizabeth's Court, where his train of kerns and gallowglasses, clothed in linen kilts dyed with saffron, made a great impression."archaichistorical

2. (obsolete or Ireland) A boor; a low person.Examples: "Yet it was held that the testimony of the common beadle of the parish, an officer of police, a vulgar, stupid kern, who stood before your own eyes, a very dolt to look on, in all the stark-staring hebetude of just wit enough to be spiteful—was to be credited as to the sense and meaning of an oration, his understanding was to be respected, and his representation trusted, where the Lord Chief Justice of England was in error."; "To think that such a lowly kern Should dare to dream to be allied By wedlock to a royal bairn!"; "The kern was much puzzled, for never before had he known food bought or sold."Irelandobsolete

3. (obsolete, UK) An idler; a vagabond.Examples: "The villain kernes Who keep me fettered here."UKobsolete