The Historic Reason Individual Corn Cobs Were Called 'Ears'

The anatomy of the modern corn plant is a testament to human ingenuity, formed as it was over 5,000 years of selective cross-breeding by indigenous Mexican cultivators, according to the National Science Foundation. Originally derived from the wild teosinte plant, a modern corn stalk can reach up to 10 feet in height, notes ThoughtCo. The leaves of the plant branch out from a central stem, with male and female parts coordinating to produce the corn on the cob we enjoy at picnics or the sweetcorn served as a favored side dish. The male tassels sprout at the top of the stalk, while the female part flowers to become the ear of corn, with its silken threads, kernels, and enveloping husk.

Corn's anatomy is decidedly less complicated than its etymology. While the Spanish used the word maize to refer to the plant, the British in centuries past applied the term corn rather indiscriminately as a synonym for grain, observes Bon Appétit. Wheat and oats, at one time, were both referred to as corn in different parts of the U.K. In the American colonies, similarly, maize became known as "Indian corn." Even more confusing than the term corn's ubiquity, perhaps, was the choice of the word "ear" to refer to the fresh kernel-bearing cob. So was this delightful food item named after hearing organs?