kerns

1. adjust the spacing between (characters) in a piece of text to be printed.

   please kern the double underscores in the code below

2. provide (metal type or a printed character) with a kern.

   sometimes display type is kerned

plural noun

the part of a metal type projecting beyond the body or shank, or a part of a printed character that overlaps its neighbours.

late 17th century: perhaps from French carne ‘corner’, from Latin cardo, cardin- ‘hinge’.

1. a light-armed Irish foot soldier.
2. a peasant; a rustic.

late Middle English: from Irish ceithearn, from Old Irish ceithern ‘band of foot soldiers’.