Caddycorner

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Situated at an angle diagonally opposed to something else
2. Positioned in such a way that it forms a diagonal line relative to another object
3. Located diagonally across from a reference point, forming a corner-to-corner alignment

Etymology: Caddycorner, meaning diagonally opposite, is a folk-altered form of "catercorner," which in turn comes from Old French "quatre cornières," meaning "four corners" or "four-cornered." The idea behind the original was a shape with four angles, so a position running diagonally across from another was described as being "across the four corners" of a square. The "cater" part of "catercorner" was the first thing English speakers reshaped. Speakers who did not recognize the French-derived "cater" linked it to the familiar word "cater," and the spelling and pronunciation gradually drifted toward "caddy" as well, producing "caddycorner" as a common variant. Both forms are in use, and "catty-corner" is another spelling of the same phrase. Dictionaries record "catercorner" as an American and regional usage, which is where most of the variants have stayed most popular.

Synonyms: diagonally, catty-corner, skew, crosswise, obliquely