How do you pronounce cater-corner?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkætəˌkɔɹnɚ/.

cater-corner

/ˈkætəˌkɔɹnɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.52 in modern English

Syllables: cater--corner
IPA: /ˈkætəˌkɔɹnɚ/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

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

Canadian usage; American usage

adj

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

British usage; Obsolete

adv

Diagonally across from.

Canadian usage; American usage

Example Sentences

"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."
"From my living room, I trained my binoculars on the redbrick monstrosity catercorner from me."
"Altman's is sited catercorner to the ESB."

Etymology

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

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkætəˌkɔɹnɚ/
British English: /ˈkatəˌkɔːnə/

Usage

Canadian usage
American usage
British usage
Obsolete

Inflected Forms

catacorner (alternative) catercorner (alternative) catty-corner (alternative) kitty-corner (alternative)

Derived Forms

cattycorner cattycornered kittycorner kittycornered

Phrases

catty-corner caddy-corner katty-corner catty-cornered caddy-cornered katty-cornered kitty-corner kitty-cornered

Frequently Paired Words

cattywampus catawampus kittywampus

Homonyms

catercorner