noun
corner
KAW-nuh
noun
1
The point where two lines, edges, or walls meet.
"She hit her hip on the corner of the table."
2
The place where two streets meet.
"Meet me on the corner of Fifth and Main."
3
A difficult or awkward situation with limited options.
"His own lies had backed him into a corner."
verb
1
To force someone or something into a position with no escape.
"The cat cornered the mouse behind the fridge."
2
To gain enough control over a market to influence prices.
"The company tried to corner the market on rare earth metals."
3
To turn while driving or moving along a curved path.
"The sports car corners beautifully at high speed."
How to Use Corner
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhere two lines or streets meet, or figuratively a tight, hard-to-escape spot.
Common mistake
To "corner the market" means to dominate it commercially, not literally to occupy a physical corner.
Common pairings
around the corner
corner the market
cut corners
cornered animal
Word Forms
cornered past tense, corners plural, corners plural, Corners plural, corners singular
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Etymology
From Anglo-Norman "corner," ultimately from Latin "cornu" ("horn," and by extension "point" or "tip").