the place at which two converging lines or surfaces meet.
the space between two converging lines or surfaces near their intersection; angle.
a chair in the corner of the room.
a projecting angle, especially of a rectangular figure or object.
He bumped into the corner of the table.
the point where two streets meet.
the corner of Market and Main Streets.
any narrow, secluded, or secret place.
an awkward or embarrassing position, especially one from which escape is impossible.
Finance. a monopolizing or a monopoly of the available supply of a stock or commodity to a point permitting control of price (applied only when monopoly price is exacted).
from every corner of the empire.
Surveying.
the point of intersection of the section lines of a land survey, often marked by a monument or some object, as a pipe that is set or driven into the ground.
a stake, tree, or rock marking the intersection of property lines.
a piece to protect the corner of anything.
Baseball. Usually the corners first base or third base.
Votto is out on strikes for the third out, and the Reds leave runners on the corners.
Baseball.
any point on the line forming the left or right boundary of home plate.
a pitch on the corner.
the area formed by the intersection of the foul line and the outfield fence.
Boxing.
the immediate area formed by any of the four angles in the ring.
one of the two assigned corners where a boxer rests between rounds and behind which the handlers sit during a fight.
Soccer. corner kick.
situated on or at a corner where two streets meet.
a corner drugstore.
made to fit or be used in a corner.
a corner cabinet.
to furnish with corners.
to place in or drive into a corner.
to force into an awkward or difficult position or one from which escape is impossible.
He finally cornered the thief.
to gain control of (a stock, commodity, etc.).
to meet in or be situated on or at a corner.
to form a corner in a stock or commodity.
(of an automobile) to turn, especially at a speed relatively high for the angle of the turn involved.
turn the corner, to pass through a crisis safely.
When the fever passed, we knew he had turned the corner.
cut corners,
to use a shorter route.
to reduce costs or care in execution.
cutting corners to meet the foreign competition.
the four corners of the earth, the most distant or remote regions.
They traveled to the four corners of the earth.
rough corners, rude, boorish, or unsophisticated characteristics, manners, or the like.
Despite his rough corners, he was very likable.
the place, position, or angle formed by the meeting of two converging lines or surfaces
a projecting angle of a solid object or figure
the place where two streets meet
any small, secluded, secret, or private place
a dangerous or awkward position, esp from which escape is difficult
a tight corner
any part, region or place, esp a remote place
something used to protect or mark a corner, as of the hard cover of a book
commerce a monopoly over the supply of a commodity so that its market price can be controlled
soccer hockey a free kick or shot from the corner of the field, taken against a defending team when the ball goes out of play over their goal line after last touching one of their players
either of two opposite angles of a boxing ring in which the opponents take their rests
US name: dihedral. mountaineering a junction between two rock faces forming an angle of between 60° and 120°
to do something in the easiest and shortest way, esp at the expense of high standards
close at hand
to pass the critical point (in an illness, etc)
(modifier) located on a corner
a corner shop
(modifier) suitable or designed for a corner
a corner table
logic either of a pair of symbols used in the same way as ordinary quotation marks to indicate quasi quotation See quasi-quotation
(tr) to manoeuvre (a person or animal) into a position from which escape is difficult or impossible
finally they cornered the fox
(tr) to furnish or provide with corners
(tr) to place in or move into a corner
(tr)
to acquire enough of (a commodity) to attain control of the market
Also: engross. to attain control of (a market) in such a manner Compare forestall
(intr) (of vehicles, etc) to turn a corner
(intr) to be situated on a corner
(intr) (in soccer, etc) to take a corner
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Old French cornier(e), “a corner,” from Vulgar Latin corna, Latin cornua, plural of cornū “(animal) horn” + -er noun suffix; see origin at horn; see also cornu -er )
Corners are everywhere. Two perpendicular lines form a corner. Rooms and streets have corners too. If a child misbehaves in class, the teacher might make him stand in the corner. The key to a corner is that it leads in two directions: when you look at the corner of a room, you could hang a picture to the right or left of the corner, but not in the corner itself. A street corner usually has a street sign and sometimes a bus stop, too. A square table has four corners, but a round table doesn't have any corner. Notice how when you look straight at a corner, there's nowhere to go? That's why corner is also a verb. If you say, "I cornered him," it means you trapped him and gave him nowhere to turn. Whenever we don't see a lot of options, we feel cornered.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For the executives themselves, returning to the corner office often holds appeal, allowing them to dig into new business problems—while enjoying the perks and power of running a large company again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The property at the corner of Spaulding Avenue and Romaine Street in West Hollywood was expected years ago to be transformed into a condominium development that could house dozens of people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: Fifa exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Translation: The boring, safe corner of your retirement account can lose money when long rates climb.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Wes runs in the opposite direction and then turns the corner, out of my sight.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
There was Dutch Corner, where an army of orange-clad supporters camped out for days and partied to EDM while waiting for the race.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Sheri Lochner, a 64-year-old Monrovia resident, is part of East Pasadena Community Defense Corner, a small group that “provides support and a sense of community” for day laborers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The parade made its way from Hyde Park Corner via Piccadilly.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Speaking outside court, McKee's sister Nichola Corner said the justice system had "completely failed" her family.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
“Yeah, but the lost diadem,” said Michael Corner, rolling his eyes, “is lost, Luna. That’s sort of the point.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
All the drivers were battling with a Hungaroring track surface that was breaking up, especially in the final two corners, where Norris said it was especially difficult to judge the grip level.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Dalton Rushing laid down a bunt with runners on the corners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
A correction releases pressure from the market’s most speculative corners.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Cut the pastry into roughly nine 3-inch squares and tuck each one into a prepared muffin tin, leaving the corners to rise jauntily above the cups.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Ollie grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Christ was cornered — pay taxes to Rome, or be branded a traitor — and so he turned the trap into a statement about the limits of power.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The more exposed he is to the laughter, and the more cornered he feels, the more ridiculously he will have to respond—because he can’t admit to an error.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
Vietnam has cornered the market on robusta since emerging from its war in the 1970s.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
"They've got us cornered because they tell us: if you don’t accept the repatriation programme, you'll be stuck in a mess here in Congo," said Gabriela, visibly upset.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
He was cornered at the bottom of a stairwell, sweaty and sleepless, with a priceless painting poorly hidden under his smock.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
I hate that feeling of overspilled momentum when cornering and braking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
With ambitions of cornering the electric vehicle market, India is also on the lookout for critical minerals such as lithium -- another resource Australia has in abundance.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
In other words, it is the track where cornering performance - particularly at low and medium-speed - is most important, and engine power least.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
These modes have limited authority over actual acceleration, suspension damping, cornering limits and steering feedback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Emmett was thinking about cornering James, no doubt.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
