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Distinguishing Between Core and Corps and Corpse and Corp
These words are frequently confused despite their very different applications. Core and corps both rhyme with more. Core can be a noun, verb, or adjective, but is most often used as a noun to refer to the central or most important part of something (“the core of the issue,” “the Earth’s core”) or to the usually inedible central part of a fruit (“an apple core”). Corps has several meanings, all of which refer to some kind of group: “the Marine Corps,” “the press corps.” Its plural form is also spelled corps (“two corps of reporters”) but is pronounced just as cores is. Unlike in corps, The “p” in corpse and corp is pronounced. Corpse refers to a dead body, and especially to the dead body of a human. Corp is an abbreviation for “corporation” and “corporal.” Corp, corps, and corpse all trace back to the Latin word corpus, meaning “body.” The origin of core is obscure.
Synonyms
Examples of corps in a Sentence
Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.
—Trisha Ahmed, Quartz, 8 Apr. 2024
The two have been making acrobatic one-handed grabs this spring, at least during media viewing, and bolstering a deeper and seemingly much-improved receiving corps.
—Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Quite a heavy lift for management and the engineering corps.
—Mark Ewing, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
The program funds up to half of corps members’ salaries, but requires a portion also be raised through local community fundraising.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 25 Mar. 2024
The good news for Israel and its remaining international partners is that the Israel Defense Forces still have a serious, competent officer corps—one that has fought its way through some very challenging urban terrain in Gaza with relatively minimal friendly casualties.
—Andrew Exum, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2024
Cleo Krejci covers higher education, vocational training and retraining as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
—Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
But protecting some parts of the state meant sacrificing the rest: the courts, the prisons, police budgets, wildlife departments, rural buses, care for the elderly, youth programs, road maintenance, public health, the diplomatic corps.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corps.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near corps
Cite this Entry
“Corps.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corps. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
from French corps "part of a military organization," derived from Latin corpus "body" — related to corpse
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