corking

American

[kawr-king] / ˈkɔr kɪŋ /

adjective

excellent; fine.

adverb

very.

a corking good time.

corking British

/ ˈkɔːkɪŋ /

adjective

slang (prenominal) excellent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of corking

First recorded in 1890–95; cork + -ing ²

Vocabulary lists containing corking

10 Opportune, Appropriate, and Downright Corking Words for "Good"

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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.

“It’s always been part of the game,” he said, “just like hitters have always been corking their bats.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2022

The warts on their outside are called "corking," as horticulturalist Jessica Walliser said on WNYC.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2022

There was corking the bat, spitballs, grease balls, Vaseline balls, baseball tampering, steroids, gambling and more that don’t come to mind right now.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2020

Andy Murray opened this set, and dammit, he’s going to close it, again teeing up his big brother for a volley with a corking first serve.

From The Guardian • Sep. 19, 2015

Forty-plus boys nervously corking in laughter are still quite loud.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023