Corner

Pronunciation

• rhotic IPA: /kɔɹnÉš/
• non-rhotic IPA: /kɔːnÉ™(ɹ)/
• US IPA: /kɔːnÉš/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)nÉ™(ɹ)

Origin

From Middle English corner, from Anglo-Norman cornere (compare Old French cornier, corniere ("corner")), from Old French corne ("corner, angle", literally a horn, projecting point), from Vulgar Latin *corna ("horn"), from Latin cornua, plural of cornū ("projecting point, end, horn"). More at hirn.

Full definition of corner

Noun

1. The point where two converging lines meet; an angle, either external or internal.
   The corners of the wire mesh were reinforced with little blobs of solder.
1. The space in the angle between converging lines or walls which meet in a point.
   The chimney corner was full of cobwebs.
• 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher Chapter 1, They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect.
2. The projection into space of an angle in a solid object.
   Herbert bruised his shin on the corner of the coffee table.
3. An intersection of two streets; any of the four outer points off the street at that intersection.
   The liquor store on the corner also sold lottery tickets.
4. An edge or extremity; the part farthest from the center; hence, any quarter or part, or the direction in which it lies.
   Shining a light in the dark corners of the mind
   I took a trip out to his corner of town.
• circa 1596-1598 William Shakespeare, , Act 2, Scene 7,Why, that’s the lady: all the world desires her;
  From the four corners of the earth they come,
  To kiss this shrine, this mortal-breathing saint:
5. A secret or secluded place; a remote or out of the way place; a nook.
   On weekends, Emily liked to find a quiet corner and curl up with a good book.
6. (business, finance) A monopoly or controlling interest in a salable commodity, allowing the controlling party to dictate terms of sale.
   In the 1970s, private investors tried to get a corner on the silver market, but were ultimately unsuccessful.
7. (baseball) One of the four vertices of the strike zone.
   The pitch was just off the corner, low and outside.
8. (baseball) First base or third base.
   There are runners on the corners with just one out.
9. (football) A corner kick.

Synonyms

• angle
• nook
• bend
• hern, hirn
• cranny
• recess
• hideaway

Verb

1. (transitive) To drive (someone) into a corner or other confined space.The cat had cornered a cricket between the sofa and the television stand.
• 2013 June 18, Simon Romero, "Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders," New York Times (retrieved 21 June 2013)In Juazeiro do Norte, demonstrators cornered the mayor inside a bank for hours and called for his impeachment, while thousands of others protested teachers’ salaries.
2. (transitive) To trap in a position of great difficulty or hopeless embarrassment.''The reporter cornered the politician by pointing out the hypocrisy of his position on mandatory sentencing, in light of the politician's own actions in court.
3. (transitive) To get command of (a stock, commodity, etc.), so as to be able to put one's own price on it.The buyers attempted to corner the shares of the railroad stock, so as to facilitate their buyout.It's extremely hard to corner the petroleum market because there are so many players.
4. (automotive, transitive) To turn a corner or drive around a curve.As the stock car driver cornered the last turn, he lost control and spun out.
5. (automotive, intransitive) To handle while moving around a corner in a road or otherwise turning.That BMW corners well, but the suspension is too stiff.

Derived terms