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high-risk gamble. I It looks like the writers of the hot new drama series have painted themselves into a corner by killing off their most popular character in the third show. 9 fight your corner BrE also fight someone's corner to try very hard to defend yourself and get advantages for yourself in an official discussion or argument, or to do this for someone else: Management will find that we are fully capable of fighting our corner, and securing a fair deal for our union members. I The majority of patients suffering from mental illnesses have no one to fight their corner and make sure their voices are heard. 10 cut corners to save time, money, or energy by doing things quickly and not as carefully as you should: Some laboratories are starting to cut corners to save money, but the test results may not be reliable. I I was trying to cut corners by not renewing my insurance policy, but this fire has ruined me.
**corner**² v 1 [T] to force (a person or animal) into a difficult or threatening position: *He fought like a cornered animal.* 2 [T] to gain control of (the supply of certain goods): *They're buying all the wheat they can get hold of, because they're trying to corner the market.* 3 [I] (of a vehicle, driver etc) to turn a corner: *My car corners well even in wet weather.*
**'corner shop** BrE || con-venience food store AmE — n a small shop, usually but not always on a corner, which may sell almost any small items, such as food, cigarettes, alcohol, and other things needed every day. Many also now have VIDEOTAPES or are owned by a national group of shops. Corner shops are usually open for longer hours than other shops.
corner shop
**CULTURAL NOTE** In the UK many corner shops are owned and run by Indian or Pakistani families. Some shops are run as a FRANCHISE. Many owners of corner shops are worried because large companies that own supermarkets are trying to open corner shops as well. This means that some corner shops may not be able to afford to stay in business. In the US, convenience stores are usually part of a group of shops owned by a company. In both countries the shops are open earlier and later than most other shops.
**cor-ner-stone** /'kɔ:nəstəʊn||'kɔ:rnər-/ n [(oft)] 1 a stone set at one of the bottom corners of a building, often put in place at a special ceremony: *The mayor laid the cornerstone of the new library.* 2 something of first importance, on which everything else is based: *Wage control is the cornerstone of the government's economic policy.* ➔ compare FOUN-DATION STONE
**cor-net** /'kɔ:nɪt||kɔ:r'nɛt/ n 1 a small brass musical instrument like a TRUMPET 2 BrE for CONE
**Cor-net-to** /kɔ:'nɛtə||kɔ:r-/ trademark a type of ICE CREAM made by the British company WALL'S. It consists of a CORNET which contains ice cream with chocolate or fruit and nuts.
**'corn ex,change** n a place where corn is, or was formerly, bought and sold
**corn-flakes** /'kɔ:nfleɪks||'kɔ:rn-/ n [P] small flat pieces of crushed CORN eaten usually at breakfast with milk and sugar. It is a standard breakfast food in both Britain and the US.
**corn-flour** /'kɔ:nflaʊər||'kɔ:rn-/ BrE || **cornstarch** AmE — n [U] fine white flour made from crushed CORN (2), rice, or other grain, used in cooking to thicken liquids
**corn-flow-er** /'kɔ:nflaʊər||'kɔ:rn-/ n a small wild European plant sometimes grown in gardens for its blue flowers: *cornflower-blue eyes*
**cor-nice** /'kɔ:nɪs||'kɔ:r-/ n a decorative border at the top edge of the front of a building or PILLAR or round the top inside edges of the walls in a room
**cor-niche** /kɔ:'ni:ʃ||kɔ:r-/ n a road built along a coast
**corn-i-ly** /'kɔ:nɪlɪ||'kɔ:r-/ adv in a CORNY way
**corn-i-ness** /'kɔ:nɪnəs||kɔ:r-/ n the condition of being CORNY
**Corn-ing Ware** /'kɔ:nɪŋ weər||'kɔ:r-/ trademark a type of US glass, usually white, which does not break easily and is used for making pots, pans, and baking dishes. It can safely be put into a hot OVEN or MICROWAVE.
**Cor-nish**¹ /'kɔ:nɪʃ||'kɔ:r-/ adj from or connected with Cornwall in the southwest of England: *the Cornish coast | Cornish miners*
**Cornish**² n [U] an ancient CELTIC language that was spoken in Cornwall, in the southwest of England until the 18th century
**'Cornish 'pasty** n in the UK, a folded piece of baked PASTRY usually for one person to eat, which contains small pieces of meat, potato, and other vegetables
**'Corn Laws, the** laws in Britain in the 19th century controlling the price of foreign corn, and making it more expensive than corn produced in Britain. This protected British farmers from competition, but hurt the ordinary people, and after much protest, the laws were changed in 1846.
**'corn liquor** also **corn whiskey** n [U] AmE a kind of WHISKY (alcoholic drink) made from CORN
**corn-meal** /'kɔ:nmi:l||'kɔ:rn-/ n [U] flour made from MAIZE. It is usually yellow in colour and is used to make CORN BREAD and many other foods.
**corn on the 'cob** n the woody central part of an ear of CORN and the eatable pieces of corn which grow in rows along it. It is popular with British people as a first course in a meal. In the US it is eaten with the main part of the meal as a vegetable, and is often eaten on the Fourth of July.
**corn pone** /'kɔ:n pəʊn||'kɔ:rn-/ n [U] a kind of bread made from CORN eaten especially in the southern US
**corn-row** /'kɔ:nrəʊ||'kɔ:rn-/ n a hairstyle worn especially by people of West Indian and West African origin in which the hair is put into small tight PLAITS in lines along the head
**corn-starch** /'kɔ:nstɑ:tʃ||'kɔ:rnstɑ:rtʃ/ n AmE for CORN-FLOUR
**'corn syrup** n [U] AmE a very sweet thick liquid (SYRUP) made from CORN and used in cooking: *Add a tablespoon of light corn syrup.*
**cor-nu-co-pi-a** /kɔ:njə'kəʊpɪəl,kɔ:rnə-/ also **horn of plenty** n a horn-shaped decorative container full of fruit, flowers, grain etc, used as a SYMBOL of having plenty of everything: *After she reached the White House, the First Lady would wear only American designers in public, a decision which opened a cornucopia for Nancy. During her eight years there, she would accept designer goods worth more than $1 m.*
cornucopia
**Corn-wall** /'kɔ:nw:l, -wɔ:l||'kɔ:rn-/ a COUNTY in southwest England which is a popular place for tourists and for people who enjoy the sport of SURFING (surf). It used to have a lot of tin mines. Cornwall includes LAND'S END and the Isles of Scilly. ➔ see colour photo on page A42
**Corn-wal-lis, Lord Charles** /kɔ:n'wɒlɪs||kɔ:rn'wɑ:-/ (1738-1805) a British military leader who was in charge of the British army during the AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR. He later became Governor-General of India.
**'corn whisky** n [U] CORN LIQUOR
**corn-y** /'kɔ:ni||'kɔ:rni/ adj infml having no original, interesting, or exciting qualities; too simple, old-fashioned, and familiar: *a corny joke/story* ➔ see also CORNILY
**co-rol-la-ry** /kə'rɒlərɪ||k:rəleri, 'kɑ:-/ n fml something, such as a statement or course of action, that naturally follows from something else: *The government wants to spend more on defence; but the corollary of that argument is that they want to spend less on everything else.*
**co-ro-na** /kə'rəʊnə/ n pl. **-nas** or **-nae** /ni:/ the shining circle of light seen round the sun when the moon passes in front of it in an ECLIPSE