three-cornered
Americanadjective
-
having three corners.
a three-cornered hat.
-
pertaining to or involving three persons, parties, or things.
The candidates were deadlocked in a three-cornered tie.
Etymology
Origin of three-cornered
First recorded in 1350–1400, three-cornered is from Middle English thre cornerid. See three, cornered
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 all begins with the Summer Triangle, external, a bright three-cornered pattern of stars, called Vega, Deneb, and Altair.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2025
The higher-downforce, lower-horsepower competition package introduced this year will yield significant differences in the way drivers turn a lap at the 2.5-mile, three-cornered track.
From Reuters • May 31, 2019
The scene on the lid shows people in powdered wigs and three-cornered hats outside a villa.
From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2018
The discovery of the “holy grail of shipwrecks” off the coast of Colombia this week has provoked a three-cornered fight over ownership of the gold, emeralds and other treasures on the ocean floor.
From The Guardian • Dec. 6, 2015
The coat that Billy Pilgrim got had been crumpled and frozen in such a way, and was so small, that it appeared to be not a coat but a sort of large black, three-cornered hat.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
![]()
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.