corner

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See also: Corner and córner

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English corner, from Anglo-Norman cornere (compare Old French cornier, corniere (“corner”)), from Old French corne (“corner, angle”, literally “a horn, projecting point”), from Vulgar Latin *corna (“horn”), from Latin cornua, plural of cornū (“projecting point, end, horn”). The sense of "angle, corner" in Old French is not found in Latin or other Romance languages. It was possibly calqued from Frankish *hurnijā (“corner, angle”), which is similar to, and derived from *hurn, the Frankish word for "horn". Displaced native cognate Middle English hirn, herne, from Old English hyrne, from Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ (“little horn, hook, angle, corner”), whence modern English hirn (“nook, corner”), itself related to horn.

Noun[edit]

corner (plural corners)

A corner (junction of streets) in Cork, Ireland, circa 1910
  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.
      • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
        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.
      • 1982, The Desert Realm‎[1], National Geographic Society, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 221:
        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.
    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. (Maine) The neighborhood surrounding an intersection of rural roads.
    5. (attributive) Denoting 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.
    • 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]:
      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:
    • 2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 248:
      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.
  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. (business, finance) A 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. (figuratively) Complete control or ownership of something.
      • 1974 April 6, Sheri, “Women's Oppression and Separatism vs. Gay Liberation for All”, in Gay Community News, page 4:
        It's not my oppression, it's not your oppression but rather our oppression. No one of us has a corner on oppression.
  6. (heading) Relating to the playing field.
    1. (baseball) One of the four vertices of the strike zone.
      The pitch was just off the corner, low and outside.
    2. (baseball) First base or third base.
      There are runners on the corners with just one out.
    3. (soccer) A corner kick.
    4. (American football) A cornerback.
    5. (boxing) The corner of the ring, which is where the boxer rests before and during a fight.
    6. (boxing, by extension) The 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. (obsolete) A point scored in a rubber at whist.
Quotations[edit]
  • 2006, Kelly K. Chappell, Effects of Concept-based Instruction on Calculus Students’ Acquisition of Conceptual Understanding and Procedural Skill, in John Dossey, Solomon Friedberg, Glenda Lappan, W. James Lewis (editorial committee), Research in Collegiate Mathematics Education VI, page 41,
    Of the students enrolled in a traditional learning environment, 65% (42 of 65) correctly answered that the function was not differentiable (or had no derivative) at .Of those, 55% (23 of 42) argued that a function did not have a derivative at a corner.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from corner
Descendants[edit]
  • → German: Corner
  • → Japanese: コーナー (kōnā)
Translations[edit]
point where two converging lines meet — see angle
football: corner kick — see corner kick
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb[edit]

corner (third-person singular simple present corners, present participle cornering, simple past and past participle cornered)

  1. (transitive) To drive (someone or something) into a corner or other confined space.
    The cat had cornered a cricket between the sofa and the television stand.
    • 2013 June 18, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 June 2013:
      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.
  2. (transitive) To 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. (transitive) To put (someone) in an awkward situation.
  4. (finance, business, transitive) To get sufficient command of (a stock, commodity, etc.), so as to be able to manipulate its price.
    The buyers attempted to corner the shares of the railroad stock, so as to facilitate their buyout.
    It's extremely hard to corner the petroleum market because there are so many players.
  5. (automotive, transitive) To turn a corner or drive around a curve.
    As the stock car driver cornered the last turn, he lost control and spun out.
  6. (automotive, intransitive) To handle while moving around a corner in a road or otherwise turning.
    That BMW corners well, but the suspension is too stiff.
  7. (transitive) To supply with corners.
    • 1937, Mechanical World and Engineering Record, volume 102, page 208:
      Tool for cornering and cutting off copper switch blades
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

corn +‎ -er

Noun[edit]

corner (plural corners)

  1. One who corns, or preserves food in salt.
    • 1982, Frederic Cople Jaher, The Urban Establishment, page 483:
      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.

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From corn +‎ -er.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

corner m (plural corners)

  1. snowy mespilus (Amelanchier ovalis)
    Synonyms: corrinyoler, pomerola

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English corner.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɔr.nər/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: cor‧ner

Noun[edit]

corner m (plural corners, diminutive cornertje n)

  1. (soccer) corner

Derived terms[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from English corner.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kɔʁ.nœʁ/, /kɔʁ.nɛʁ/

Noun[edit]

corner m (plural corners)

  1. (soccer) corner kick, corner
    Synonym: coup de pied de coin

Etymology 2[edit]

From corne +‎ -er.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

corner

  1. to fold a corner of a page
  2. to blow, horn (a cornet or horn)
  3. to bellow
  4. to honk, beep (a vehicle's horn)
  5. to shout from the rooftops
Conjugation[edit]
Conjugation of corner (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple corner
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple cornant
/kɔʁ.nɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle corné
/kɔʁ.ne/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present corne
/kɔʁn/ 		cornes
/kɔʁn/ 		corne
/kɔʁn/ 		cornons
/kɔʁ.nɔ̃/ 		cornez
/kɔʁ.ne/ 		cornent
/kɔʁn/
imperfect cornais
/kɔʁ.nɛ/ 		cornais
/kɔʁ.nɛ/ 		cornait
/kɔʁ.nɛ/ 		cornions
/kɔʁ.njɔ̃/ 		corniez
/kɔʁ.nje/ 		cornaient
/kɔʁ.nɛ/
past historic2 cornai
/kɔʁ.ne/ 		cornas
/kɔʁ.na/ 		corna
/kɔʁ.na/ 		cornâmes
/kɔʁ.nam/ 		cornâtes
/kɔʁ.nat/ 		cornèrent
/kɔʁ.nɛʁ/
future cornerai
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁe/ 		corneras
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁa/ 		cornera
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁa/ 		cornerons
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁɔ̃/ 		cornerez
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁe/ 		corneront
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁɔ̃/
conditional cornerais
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁɛ/ 		cornerais
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁɛ/ 		cornerait
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁɛ/ 		cornerions
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁjɔ̃/ 		corneriez
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁje/ 		corneraient
/kɔʁ.nə.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present corne
/kɔʁn/ 		cornes
/kɔʁn/ 		corne
/kɔʁn/ 		cornions
/kɔʁ.njɔ̃/ 		corniez
/kɔʁ.nje/ 		cornent
/kɔʁn/
imperfect2 cornasse
/kɔʁ.nas/ 		cornasses
/kɔʁ.nas/ 		cornât
/kɔʁ.na/ 		cornassions
/kɔʁ.na.sjɔ̃/ 		cornassiez
/kɔʁ.na.sje/ 		cornassent
/kɔʁ.nas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — corne
/kɔʁn/ 		— cornons
/kɔʁ.nɔ̃/ 		cornez
/kɔʁ.ne/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Further reading[edit]

Italian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from English corner.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

corner m

  1. (soccer) corner
  2. (figurative) difficult situation
  3. (economics) market niche in which a company has a monopoly

References[edit]

  1. ^ corner in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman corner, cornere (and its dissimilatory variant cornel), from corne (“horn”); compare Medieval Latin cornārius.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /kɔrˈneːr/, /ˈkɔrnər/

Noun[edit]

corner (plural corneres)

  1. A corner or angle; a terminal intersection of two objects.
  2. The inside of a corner; the space inside a corner.
  3. A refuge or redoubt; a location of safety.
  4. A place or locale, especially a distant one.
  5. (rare) An overlook or viewpoint.
  6. (rare) The side of a troop or host.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

References[edit]

Old French[edit]

Verb[edit]

corner

  1. to blow; to horn (sound a horn)

Conjugation[edit]

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-rns, *-rnt are modified to rz, rt. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of corner (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive corner avoir corné
gerund en cornant gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle cornant
past participle corné
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu il nos vos il
simple
tenses 		present corn cornes corne cornons cornez cornent
imperfect cornoie, corneie, cornoe, corneve cornoies, corneies, cornoes, corneves cornoit, corneit, cornot, corneve corniiens, corniens corniiez, corniez cornoient, corneient, cornoent, cornevent
preterite cornai cornas corna cornames cornastes cornerent
future cornerai corneras cornera cornerons corneroiz, cornereiz, cornerez corneront
conditional corneroie, cornereie corneroies, cornereies corneroit, cornereit corneriiens, corneriens corneriiez, corneriez corneroient, cornereient
compound
tenses 		present perfect present tense of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
past anterior preterite tense of avoir + past participle
future perfect future tense of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que jo que tu qu’il que nos que vos qu’il
simple
tenses 		present corn corz cort cornons cornez cornent
imperfect cornasse cornasses cornast cornissons, cornissiens cornissoiz, cornissez, cornissiez cornassent
compound
tenses 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nos vos –
— corne — cornons cornez —

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from English corner or French corner.

Noun[edit]

corner n (plural cornere)

  1. (soccer) corner kick, corner

Declension[edit]

Declension of corner
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) corner cornerul (niște) cornere cornerele
genitive/dative (unui) corner cornerului (unor) cornere cornerelor
vocative cornerule cornerelor

Spanish[edit]

Noun[edit]

corner m (plural corneres)

  1. corner kick
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