corner

plural corners

1. The point where two converging lines meet; an angle, either external or internal.

   The corners of the wire mesh were reinforced with little blobs of solder.

   1. The space in the angle between converging lines or walls which meet in a point.

      The chimney corner was full of cobwebs.

      2 more examples

      They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.

      1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC

      The Altay Mountains to the north prevent rain clouds from reaching the Gurbantünggüt Desert, which fills the center of the Junggar Basin in China's northwest corner.

      1982, The Desert Realm, National Geographic Society, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 221

   2. The projection into space of an angle in a solid object.

      Herbert bruised his shin on the corner of the coffee table.

   3. An intersection of two streets; any of the four outer points off the street at that intersection.

      The liquor store on the corner also sold lottery tickets.

   4. MaineThe neighborhood surrounding an intersection of rural roads.
   5. attributiveDenoting a premises that is in a convenient local location, notionally, but not necessarily literally, on the corner of two streets.

      corner store, corner deli, corner newsagent

2. An edge or extremity; the part farthest from the center; hence, any quarter or part, or the direction in which it lies.

   Shining a light in the dark corners of the mind.  I took a trip out to his corner of town.

   2 more examples

   Why, that’s the lady: all the world desires her; / From the four corners of the earth they come, / To kiss this shrine, this mortal-breathing saint:

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]

   Indian English is today one of the most widespread and abundantly used varieties of English, in extensive use not only throughout South Asia but in virtually every corner of the globe.

   2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 248

3. A secret or secluded place; a remote or out of the way place; a nook.

   On weekends, Emily liked to find a quiet corner and curl up with a good book.

4. An embarrassing situation; a difficulty.
5. businessA sufficient interest in a salable security or commodity to allow the cornering party to influence prices.

   In the 1970s, private investors tried to get a corner on the silver market, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

   1. figurativelybusinessComplete control or ownership of something.

      It's not my oppression, it's not your oppression but rather our oppression. No one of us has a corner on oppression.

      1974 April 6, Sheri, “Women's Oppression and Separatism vs. Gay Liberation for All”, in Gay Community News, page 4

6. Relating to the playing field.
   1. ball gamesOne of the four vertices of the strike zone.

      The pitch was just off the corner, low and outside.

   2. ball gamesFirst base or third base.

      There are runners on the corners with just one out.

   3. ball gamesA corner kick.
   4. American footballA cornerback.
   5. boxingThe corner of the ring, which is where the boxer rests before and during a fight.
   6. broadlyboxingThe group of people who assist a boxer during a bout.
7. A place where people meet for a particular purpose.

   Welcome to our English corner.

8. obsoleteA point scored in a rubber at whist.

present singular third person corners · participle present cornering · participle past cornered · past cornered

1. transitiveTo drive (someone or something) into a corner or other confined space.

   The cat had cornered a cricket between the sofa and the television stand.

   1 more example

   In Juazeiro do Norte, demonstrators cornered the mayor inside a bank for hours and called for his impeachment, while thousands of others protested teachers’ salaries.

   2013 June 18, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 29 Jun 2013

2. transitiveTo trap in a position of great difficulty or hopeless embarrassment.

   The reporter cornered the politician by pointing out the hypocrisy of his position on mandatory sentencing, in light of the politician's own actions in court.

3. transitiveTo put (someone) in an awkward situation.
4. transitivebusinessTo get sufficient command of (a stock, commodity, etc.), so as to be able to manipulate its price.

   It's extremely hard to corner the petroleum market because there are so many players.

   1 more example

   The buyers attempted to corner the shares of the railroad stock, so as to facilitate their buyout.

5. transitiveautomotiveTo turn a corner or drive around a curve.

   As the stock car driver cornered the last turn, he lost control and spun out.

6. intransitiveautomotiveTo handle while moving around a corner in a road or otherwise turning.

   That BMW corners well, but the suspension is too stiff.

7. transitiveTo supply with corners.

   Tool for cornering and cutting off copper switch blades

   1937, Mechanical World and Engineering Record, volume 102, page 208

1. Spoken by service staff such as waiters when walking around a corner, to warn other staff and prevent a collision.

plural corners

1. One who corns, or preserves food in salt.

   Big firms received rebates from railroads in which they owned stock, paid off city officials in order to obtain a low-cost water supply, and fought meat-inspection laws, and meat packers speculated in pork and beef corners.

   1982, Frederic Cople Jaher, The Urban Establishment, page 483

plural Corners

1. countableuncountableA surname.
2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States, at the "corner" of three counties.
3. countableuncountableA township in Custer County, Nebraska, United States; it is in the north-east corner of the county.

1. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of Hyde Park Corner.
2. archaicbroadlycolloquialThe Tattersalls horse repository and betting rooms, originally located at Hyde Park Corner.

   1 more example

   Indeed, the whole aspect of the Corner, with its open space and green lawns, is so different from what it once was that it requires a glance at the sturdy brick wall of Buckingham Palace Gardens […] to assure the wanderer that, after all, nothing very revolutionary has occurred, and that things are much as they used to be twenty years ago.

   1885, All the Year Round (page 345)