corker
Americannoun
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a person or thing that corks.
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Informal. something that closes a discussion or settles a question.
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Informal. someone or something that is astonishing or excellent.
noun
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slang
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something or somebody striking or outstanding
that was a corker of a joke
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an irrefutable remark that puts an end to discussion
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a person or machine that inserts corks
Etymology
Origin of corker
First recorded in 1715–25; cork + -er 1; corker defs. 2, 3 of unclear relation to corker def. 1 and perhaps of distinct origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With its lawyerly shenanigans and emotional poignancy, “A Case of Life and Limb” is a real corker, as a policeman who sometimes counsels Gabriel might say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
It kicks off with a corker of a line — “Cheerful, grinning people, can’t stand ’em!” — and goes on to scorch everything on the block, from dogs in sweaters to baby clothes with pockets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
The Lib Dems had a corker of a 2024.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2024
Shannon’s father’s deathbed sequence is an especial corker.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2022
He came up with a corker: a theogony that transformed the Mexica into keepers of the cosmic order.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
