A cob is the hard, woody core of an ear of corn that holds all the kernels. When you eat corn on the cob at a barbecue or picnic, you're biting the sweet yellow kernels off that central cylinder. After you've eaten all the corn, what's left in your hand is the cob: a light but sturdy stick covered in little indentations where the kernels used to be.

Farmers and gardeners know that corncobs serve many purposes beyond their role in growing corn. Throughout history, people have ground up dried corncobs to make a gritty powder used in cleaning products and industrial materials. Corncobs have been used as fuel for fires, as handles for tools, and even as material for making corncob pipes.

The word cob can also refer to a stocky, strong type of horse with a calm temperament, often used for riding. And a male swan is called a cob (while the female is called a pen). But when most people say “cob,” they're talking about that satisfying crunch of fresh corn kernels you bite off the cob on a summer evening.