Cornish

1 of 2

adjective

Cor·​nish ˈkȯr-nish How to pronounce Cornish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Cornwall, Cornishmen, or Cornish

Cornish

2 of 2

noun

1
: the Celtic language of Cornwall
2
: any of an English breed of domestic chickens much used in crossbreeding for meat production compare rock cornish hen

Examples of Cornish in a Sentence

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Noun
Previous participants at On Air Fest have included Anderson Cooper, Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Meyers, Norah Jones, Wyclef Jean, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Audie Cornish, Jad Abumrad, Terry Gross, Francis Ford Coppola, Ira Glass and more. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026 Over in Grass Valley, Cornish Christmas (November 27; December 4, 11, and 18) calls on Main Street to close to traffic as Victorian lamplight takes over. — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026 Related Stories Penn plays Kapoor, a closeted physician who takes over a retiring colleague’s practice, in the process inheriting Anna Nicole Smith (Abbie Cornish) as a patient. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026 Cornish had consecutive runs of 12 and 10 yards on what turned out to be a victory-clinching TD drive. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Cornish

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English Cornysshe, from Cornwaile Cornwall, England

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Cornish was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing Cornish

Rhymes for Cornish

See All Rhymes for Cornish

Browse Nearby Words

corniness
Cornish
Cornish chough
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cornish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Cornish. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Cornish

noun
Cor·​nish
ˈkȯr-nish
: any of an English breed of sturdy compact chickens
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