SKIP TO CONTENT

cornmeal

/ˌkɔrnˌˈmil/
/ˈkɔnmil/
IPA guide

Cornmeal is a coarse kind of flour made from dried kernels of maize. You can sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza pan to keep the crust from sticking, or cook it with water to make polenta.

Grind corn into meal and you get cornmeal, a versatile ingredient that's used in staple foods all over the world. In the U.S., particularly the South, cornmeal is used for grits, fritters, hushpuppies, and cornbread. Mexican cuisines add lime and make masa, the base of tortillas and tamales. Corn congee is a common dish made from cornmeal in several East Asian countries, and in Barbados, cornmeal-based cou-cou is part of the national dish.

Definitions of cornmeal
  1. noun
    coarsely ground corn
    synonyms: Indian meal
    see moresee less
    type of:
    meal
    coarsely ground foodstuff; especially seeds of various cereal grasses or pulse
Pronunciation
US
/ˌkɔrnˌˈmil/
UK
/ˈkɔnmil/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘cornmeal'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family