Standard Lemma guide

cater-corner

adj · adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkatəˌkɔːnə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪtəˌkɔːnə/
  • General-American: /ˈkætəˌkɔɹnɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

At a diagonal to another; of four corners, those diagonal to another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, not-comparable

Examples

  • The Empire State Building and the old Altman's Department store are catercorner, at Fifth Avenue and East 34th Street, with the ESB at the southwest, and Altman's at the northeast.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Uneven, not square, as mislaid stones or people with a limping gait.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, dialectal, not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Diagonally across from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, not-comparable

Examples

  • Altman's is sited catercorner to the ESB.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Presumably a clipped form of cater-cornered, from cater + cornered, q.v., although catty-cornered is attested earlier (1838).

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 斜對面 /斜对面 (xiéduìmiàn) — diagonally across
  • Danish: skråt overfor — diagonally across
  • Finnish: kulmittain vastapäätä — diagonally across
  • German: schräg gegenüber — diagonally across
  • Greek: διαγωνίως (diagoníos) — diagonally across
  • Greek: διαγώνια (diagónia) — diagonally across
  • Japanese: 斜め (naname) — diagonally across
  • Polish: ukośnie — diagonally across
  • Polish: na skos — diagonally across
  • Russian: на́искось (náiskosʹ) — diagonally across
  • Russian: наискосо́к (naiskosók) — diagonally across
  • Spanish: en contraesquina — diagonally across