- corner (v.)
- late 14c., "to furnish with corners," from corner (n.). Meaning "to turn a corner," as in a race, is 1860s; meaning "drive (someone) into a corner" is American English from 1824. Commercial sense is from 1836. Related: Cornered; cornering.
- cornerstone (n.)
- late 13c., from corner (n.) + stone (n.). The figurative use is from early 14c.
I endorse without reserve the much abused sentiment of Governor M'Duffie, that "Slavery is the corner-stone of our republican edifice;" while I repudiate, as ridiculously absurd, that much lauded but nowhere accredited dogma of Mr. Jefferson, that "all men are born equal." No society has ever yet existed, and I have already incidentally quoted the highest authority to show that none ever will exist, without a natural variety of classes. [James H. Hammond, "Letter to an English Abolitionist" 1845]
- cornet (n.)
- c. 1400, "A wind instrument made of wood and provided with six finger holes" [Middle English Dictionary], from Old French cornet (14c.) "a small horn," diminutive of corn "a horn," from Latin cornu "horn," from PIE *ker- (1) "horn; head, uppermost part of the body" (see horn (n.)). Modern use is short for cornet-à-pistons "cornet with pistons."
The quality of the tone is penetrating and unsympathetic, by no means equal to that of the trumpet, for which it is commonly substituted. ["cornet" entry in "Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia," 1902]
- cornfield (n.)
- late 13c., from corn (n.1) + field (n.).
- cornhole (v.)
- synonymous with "do anal intercourse" by 1930s, apparently the reference is to a game played in the farming regions of the Ohio Valley in the U.S. from 19c., in which players take turns throwing a small bag full of feed corn at a raised platform with a hole in it; from corn (n.1) + hole (n.).
- cornice (n.)
- 1560s, from Middle French corniche (16c.) or directly from Italian cornice "ornamental molding along a wall," perhaps from Latin coronis "curved line, flourish in writing," from Greek koronis "curved object" (see crown). Perhaps influenced by (or even from) Latin cornicem, accusative of cornix "crow" (compare corbel).
- Cornish (adj.)
- from first element of Cornwall + -ish.
- cornmeal (n.)
- 1782, from corn (n.1) + meal (n.2).
- cornucopia (n.)
- c. 1500, from Late Latin cornucopia, from Latin cornu copiae "horn of plenty," originally the horn of the goat Amalthea, who nurtured the infant Zeus. See horn (n.) and copious.
- Cornwall
- Old English Cornwalas (891), Cornubia (c.705), "the Corn Welsh," from original Celtic tribal name, *Cornowii, Latinized as Cornovii, literally "peninsula people, the people of the horn," from Celtic kernou "horn," hence "headland," from PIE *ker- (1) "horn; head, uppermost part of the body" (see horn (n.)), in reference to the long "horn" of land on which they live. To this the Anglo-Saxons added the plural of Old English walh "stranger, foreigner," especially if Celtic (see Welsh).
- corny (adj.)
- 1570s, "full of corn, pertaining to corn, from corn (n.1) + -y (2). Chaucer used it of ale (late 14c.), perhaps to mean "malty." American English slang "old-fashioned, sentimental" is from 1932 (first attested in "Melody Maker"), perhaps originally "something appealing to country folk" (corn-fed in the same sense is attested from 1929). Related: Cornily; corniness.
- corolla (n.)
- 1670s, "crown," from Latin corolla, diminutive of corona "crown, garland" (see crown (n.)). Botanical use is from 1753.
- corollary (n.)
- late 14c., from Late Latin corollarium "a deduction, consequence," from Latin corollarium, originally "money paid for a garland," hence "gift, gratuity, something extra;" and in logic, "a proposition proved from another that has been proved." From corolla "small garland," diminutive of corona "crown" (see crown (n.)).
- corollate (adj.)
- 1864, "having a corolla," from corolla + -ate.
- corona (n.)
- 1650s, from Latin corona "crown, garland" (see crown (n.)).
- coronal (adj.)
- 1540s, "pertaining to a crown" (or, later, to one of the extended senses of Latin corona), from French coronal (16c.), from Latin coronalis, from corona (see crown (n.)).
- coronary (adj.)
- c. 1600, "suitable for garlands," from Latin coronarius "of a crown," from corona "crown" (see crown (n.)). Anatomical use is 1670s for structure of blood vessels that surround the heart like a crown. Short for coronary thrombosis it dates from 1955. Coronary artery is recorded from 1741.
- coronation (n.)
- late 14c., from Late Latin coronationem (nominative coronatio) "a crowning," from past participle stem of Latin coronare "to crown," from corona "crown" (see crown (n.)).
- coronel (n.)
- obsolete form of colonel.
- coroner (n.)
- late 12c., from Anglo-French curuner, from Latin custos placitorum coronae, originally the title of the officer with the duty of protecting the property of the royal family, from Latin corona, literally "crown" (see crown (n.)). The duties of the office gradually narrowed and by 17c. the chief function was to determine the cause of death in cases not obviously natural.
- coronet (n.)
- "a small crown," late 15c., from Old French coronete, diminutive of corone "a crown," from Latin corona "crown" (see crown (n.)).
- corporal (n.)
- lowest noncommissioned army officer, 1570s, from Middle French corporal, from Italian caporale "a corporal," from capo "chief, head," from Latin caput "head" (see capitulum). So called because he was in charge of a body of troops. Perhaps influenced by Italian corpo, from Latin corps "body." Or corps may be the source and caput the influence, as the OED suggests.
- corporal (adj.)
- "of or belonging to the body," late 14c., from Old French corporal (12c., Modern French corporel) "of the body, physical, strong," from Latin corporalis "pertaining to the body," from corpus (genitive corporis) "body" (see corporeal). Corporal punishment "punishment of the body" (as opposed to fine or loss of rank or privilege) is from 1580s. Related: Corporality.
- corporate (adj.)
- early 15c., "united in one body," from Latin corporatus, past participle of corporare "form into a body," from corpus (genitive corporis) "body" (see corporeal).
- corporation (n.)
- mid-15c., "persons united in a body for some purpose," from such use in Anglo-Latin, from Late Latin corporationem (nominative corporatio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin corporare "to embody" (see corporate). Meaning "legally authorized entity" (including municipal governments and modern business companies) is from 1610s.
- corporatism (n.)
- 1890, from corporate + -ism. Used over the years in various senses of corporate, in 1920s-30s often with reference to fascist collectivism.
- corporative (adj.)
- 1833, from Late Latin corporativus "pertaining to the forming of a body," from past participle stem of corporare (see corporate).
- corporeal (adj.)
- early 15c., with adjectival suffix -al (1) + Latin corporeus "of the nature of a body," from corpus "body" (living or dead), from PIE *kwrpes, from root *kwrep- "body, form, appearance," probably from a verbal root meaning "to appear" (source also of Sanskrit krp- "form, body," Avestan kerefsh "form, body," Old English hrif "belly," Old High German href "womb, belly, abdomen").
- corps (n.)
- late 13c., cors "body," from Old French cors "body, person, corpse, life" (9c.), from Latin corpus "body" (see corporeal). Sense in English evolved from "dead body" (13c.) to "live body" (14c.) to "body of citizens" (15c.) to "band of knights" (mid-15c.). The modern military sense (1704) is from French corps d'armée (16c.), picked up in English during Marlborough's campaigns.
French restored the Latin -p- in 14c., and English followed 15c., but the pronunciation remained "corse" at first and corse persisted as a parallel formation. After the -p- began to be sounded (16c. in English), corse became archaic or poetic only.
- corpse (n.)
- 1540s, variant spelling of corps (q.v.). The -p- originally was silent, as in French, and with some speakers still is. The terminal -e was rare before 19c. Corpse-candle is attested from 1690s.
- corpulence (n.)
- late 15c. "body size" (either large or small, with adjective), from Old French corpulence (14c.) "corpulence; physical size, build," from Latin corpulentia "grossness of body," noun of quality from corpulentus (see corpulent). Restriction to "bulkiness, obesity" began late 16c. Related: Corpulency.
- corpulent (adj.)
- late 14c., from Old French corpulent "stout, fat," from Latin corpulentus "fleshy, fat," from corpus "body" (see corporeal) + -ulentus "full of." Leigh Hunt was sent to prison for two years for calling the Prince Regent corpulent in print in 1812.
- corpus (n.)
- (plural corpora), late 14c., from Latin corpus, literally "body" (see corporeal). The sense of "body of a person" (mid-15c. in English) and "collection of facts or things" (1727 in English) both were present in Latin. Corpus Christi (late 14c.), feast of the Blessed Sacrament, is the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Also used in various medical phrases, such as corpus callosum (1706, literally "tough body"), corpus luteum (1788, literally "yellow body").
- corpus delicti
- 1832, Latin, literally "body of the offense;" not "the murder victim's body," but the basic elements that make up a crime; in the case of a murder, including the body of the murdered person.
- corpuscle (n.)
- 1650s, "any small particle," from Latin corpusculum "a puny body; an atom, particle," diminutive of corpus "body" (see corporeal); for ending see -cule. First applied to blood cells 1845. Related: Corpuscular.
- corral (n.)
- 1580s, from Spanish corral, from corro "ring," Portuguese curral, of uncertain origin. Perhaps ultimately African, or from Vulgar Latin *currale "enclosure for vehicles," from Latin currus "two-wheeled vehicle," from currere "to run."
- corral (v.)
- 1847, from corral (n.); meaning "to lay hold of, collar," is U.S. slang from 1860. Related: Corraled.
- correct (v.)
- mid-14c., "to set right, rectify" (a fault or error), from Latin correctus, past participle of corrigere "to put straight, reduce to order, set right;" in transferred use, "to reform, amend," especially of speech or writing, from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + regere "to lead straight, rule" (see regal). Originally of persons; with reference to writing, etc., attested from late 14c. Related: Corrected; correcting.
- correct (adj.)
- 1670s, from French correct "right, proper," from Latin correctus, past participle of corrigere "to put straight; to reform" (see correct (v.)). Related: Correctly; correctness.
- correction (n.)
- mid-14c., "action of correcting," from Old French correccion (13c.) "correction, amendment; punishment, rebuke," from Latin correctionem (nominative correctio), noun of action from past participle stem of corrigere "to put straight; to reform" (see correct (v.)). Meaning "chastisement" is from late 14c. Meaning "an instance of correction" is from 1520s. House of correction was in a royal statute from 1575.
- corrective
- 16c., adjective and noun, from French correctif, from Latin correct-, past participle stem of corrigere "to put straight; to reform" (see correct (v.)).
- correlate (n.)
- 1640s, perhaps a back-formation from correlation.
- correlate (v.)
- 1742, back-formation from correlation, or else a verbal use of the noun. Related: Correlated; correlating; correlative.
- correlation (n.)
- 1560s, from Middle French corrélation, from cor- "together" (see com-) + relation (see relation).
- correspond (v.)
- 1520s, "to be in agreement, to be in harmony with," from Middle French correspondre (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin correspondere, from cor- (see com-) "together, with each other" + respondere "to answer" (see respond).
Originally in Medieval Latin of two things in mutual action, but by later Medieval Latin it could be used of one thing only. In English, sense of "to be similar" (to) is from 1640s; that of "to hold communication with" is from c. 1600; specifically "to communicate by means of letters" from 1640s (in mid-18c. it also could mean "have sex"). Related: Corresponded; corresponding.
- correspondence (n.)
- early 15c., "harmony, agreement," from Medieval Latin correspondentia, from correspondentem (nominative correspondens), present participle of correspondere (see correspond). Sense of "communication by letters" is first attested 1640s.
- correspondent (adj.)
- early 15c., "having an analogous relationship" (to), a sense taken up since 19c. by corresponding; from Medieval Latin correspondentem, present participle of correspondere (see correspond).
- correspondent (n.)
- "one who communicates with another by letters," 1620s, from correspondent (adj.). The newspaper sense is from 1711.
THE life of a newspaper correspondent, as may naturally be supposed, is one of alternate cloud and sunshine--one day basking in an Andalusian balcony, playing a rubber at the club on the off-nights of the Opera, being very musical when the handsome Prima Donna sings, and very light fantastic toeish when the lively Prima Ballerina dances; another day roughing it over the Balkan, amid sleet and snow, or starving at the tail of an ill-conditioned army, and receiving bullets instead of billets-doux. ["New Monthly Magazine," vol. 95, 1852, p.284]
- corresponding (adj.)
- 1570s, past participle adjective from correspond. Not common until 19c., when it took on the adjectival function of correspondent. Related: Correspondingly (1836).
- corridor (n.)
- 1590s, from French corridor (16c.), from Italian corridore "a gallery," literally "a runner," from correre "to run," from Latin currere (see current (adj.)). Originally of fortifications, meaning "long hallway" is first recorded 1814.