Slangora

cater-corner

(UK, _, dialect, obsolete) Uneven, not square, as mislaid stones or people with a limping gait.

ˈkatəˌkɔːnəDocumented since 1830sSilenthistorical150 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
3 definitions
Community

Etymology timeline

Born ~1838 · no dated citations yet
1838BornToday, 2026

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK, _, dialect, obsolete) Uneven, not square, as mislaid stones or people with a limping gait.

Was this helpful?

Comments

UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(US, Canada) Diagonally across from.

For parents

"cater-corner" means: Diagonally across from.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"cater-corner" means: Diagonally across from.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

Was this helpful?

Comments

UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK

(US, Canada) Of or pertaining to something at a diagonal to another; of four corners, those diagonal to another.

Origin: Presumably a clipped form of cater-cornered, from , q.v., although catty-cornered is attested earlier (1838). Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Was this helpful?

Comments

Used in

UK

Have a better definition?

Add your own interpretation of "cater-corner".

Add definition

⚡About Tech, Dev & AI slang

The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.

See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.

Tags

Other words near "cater-corner" (C)

Browse all slang words starting with C.

Related terms

People also read

Semantically related