corker

American  

[kawr-ker] / ˈkɔr kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that corks.

2. Informal. something that closes a discussion or settles a question.

3. Informal. someone or something that is astonishing or excellent.

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corker British  

/ ˈkɔːkə /

noun

1. slang

   1. something or somebody striking or outstanding

      that was a corker of a joke

   2. an irrefutable remark that puts an end to discussion

2. a person or machine that inserts corks

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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

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 is going to be a corker of a tie, but City boss Pep Guardiola always goes strong in the FA Cup and, with no Son, that gives the holders the edge.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2024

Shannon’s father’s deathbed sequence is an especial corker.

From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2022

There are white clapboard federal-style houses with the Stars and Stripes aflutter, classy boutiques and a corker of a tavern.

From The Guardian • Nov. 3, 2016

He came up with a corker: a theogony that transformed the Mexica into keepers of the cosmic order.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann