Catercorner

Part of speech: adverb, adjective

Definitions

1. Situated or positioned diagonally across from something else, as if at the opposite corner
2. Located diagonally opposite or at an oblique angle to another place or object
3. Placed at a diagonal angle across from something, in the opposite corner or direction

Etymology: "Catercorner" is a word whose origin is genuinely uncertain, and the most useful fact is that its supposed ancestor is older than it is. The likely source is "cater-cornered", a form built from "cater" and "corner", but the modern spelling appears to be a clipped version of that. Meanwhile, a related form, "catty-cornered", is recorded from 1838, which suggests the family of words took shape in that period rather than being much older. The "cater" element is the real puzzle. It probably comes from "cater" in the sense of four, from French "quatre" by way of Old French, as in the "cater" of a dice throw of four, and "cater-cornered" would then mean "four-cornered," describing a diagonal relationship across a square. This explanation is plausible but not certain, and it is the part most often repeated without proof. In use, the word functions as an adverb meaning diagonally opposite, as in a building that sits across an intersection from another. Stephen King's 2012 novel "11/22/63" uses the spelling in just this sense, describing a building "catercorner from" a narrator's home.

Synonyms: catty-corner, kitty-corner, diagonal