Definition of "kern"

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.

1856, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Odd Fellows' Literary Casket, volumes 6-7, page 360

If you need to kern anything beyond the most commonly used pairs, you can use applications software such as Adobe PageMaker to customize pairs.

2001, Constance J. Sidles, Graphic Designer's Digital Printing and PrePress Handbook, page 51

Especially consider kerning if you are printing on a relatively high-resolution printer, such as a 600-dpi (dots per inch) laser printer.

2001, Bill Camarda, Special Edition Using Microsoft Word 2002, page 122

Remember, the goal of kerning is to make letter pairs look natural, not necessarily to minimize letterspaces.

2006, Tova Rabinowitz, Exploring Typography, page 320

You should kern letter pairs when spacing between characters is too wide or too narrow.

2008, Terry Rydberg, Exploring Adobe InDesign CS4, page 98

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.

1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene vii]

‘O haste thee, and from Allan learn / If thou mayst trust yon wily kern.’

1810, The Lady of the Lake, Walter Scott, 4.XVIII

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.

1908, Sabine Baring-Gould, Devonshire Characters and Strange Events: "Lusty" Stucley

In the pay-roll of Sir Ralph D'Ufford's expeditions in 1344, a mounted archer received 4d. a day, a foot archer 2d. and a kern, or simple foot-soldier 1d.13s "

1975, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, page 184

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.

1828, R. Carlile, “Judgment of the Court of King's Bench on the Reverend Robert Taylor”, in The Lion, volume 1, number 3, page 170

To think that such a lowly kern Should dare to dream to be allied By wedlock to a royal bairn!

1903, James Duff Law, Here and There in Two Hemispheres, page 105

The kern was much puzzled, for never before had he known food bought or sold.

1921, Seumas MacManus, The Story of the Irish Race, page 671

The garrison were certain the Irish had no suitable equipment, that its manufacture was beyond the ignorant kern, and that it could not be bought for lack of funds.

1971, Denis Main Ross Esson, The Curse of Cromwell, page 56

Watch his impudent boldness with great men – you would not think that Essex was the premier Earl and that McGunn was the lowly kern from the boglands of Ireland.

2010, Rory Clements, Revenger

The villain kernes Who keep me fettered here.

1856, William Edmondstoune Aytoun, Bothwell