corn sweat

English

Noun

corn sweat (uncountable)

  1. Water drawn in by corn (maize) stalks from the earth and then released into the air via evapotranspiration.
    • 2016 July 18, Angela Fritz, “What in the world is ’corn sweat’ and is it really causing this heat wave?”, in The Washington Post[1], Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 4 October 2018:
      Is corn sweat the cause of the coming heat wave? Definitely not. At most, it could make it more uncomfortable for some places.
    • 2024 August 27, Erum Salam, “Corn sweat: crop moisture amplifies humidity and heat in US midwest”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian[2], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 July 2025:
      The heatwave and the related corn sweat-induced humidity are part of broader extreme weather patterns seen in the US in recent days.
    • 2024 September 13, “Did you know corn can sweat? It's real, and it can make it more humid outside”, in CBC[3], archived from the original on 30 July 2025:
      She noted that while all plants put some level of moisture into the atmosphere, they do not get the same credit as corn sweat. ¶ "I guess you could say corn is a very sweaty plant. It's very efficient at taking that moisture and putting it out to the ground. It requires a lot of moisture to grow and thus it evaporates a lot of moisture off of each stock," Mayesboustead said. ¶ Mayesboustead, who grew up in Michigan, said each stock[sic – meaning stalk] of corn puts a substantial amount of water vapour into the air.