Word of the Week: quern (kwûrn) Definition (Noun) A simple, typically hand-operated, device for grinding corn, etc., consisting of two stones, the upper of which is rotated or rubbed on the lower. Also: a small hand-mill for grinding pepper, mustard, etc. In Context "Virtually every activity which involved the crushing of material led to the purchase of a quern or mill." Gitte Hansen, Steven P. Ashby, and Irene Baug, Editors, Everyday Products in the Middle Ages: Crafts, Consumption and the Individual in Northern Europe c. AD 800-1600, 2015.