What is the Latin word for corner?

The usual Latin words for “corner” are vertō, angulus, recēdō; also latebra, latibulum, angulō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“corner” in Latin

vertōto turn, turn oneself, direct one's way, to turn about, turn around, revolve; to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow, angulusAn angle.; A corner.; A retired, unfrequented place, a nook, corner, lurking place.recēdōto go away, withdraw, retire, depart from a place; to abandon a thing latebrahiding place, retreat, lair; place of refuge from war; hidden recess latibulumhiding place, refuge; den (of animals)angulōto make angular or cornered angulārisangular; square; placed at corners triangulustriangular, three-cornered, three-sided quadrangulusquadrangular (four-sided)angulōsusfull of corners

The English word corner itself goes back to Latin cornū̆, through *corna.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

corner

A. PROPRE., versura: angulus: the corners of the gable, fastigiorum versurae: having corners, angulatus; angularis: having three corners, triangulus: that has four corners, quadrangulus: having several corners, angulosus (poetical., multangulus): that stands or is in a corner (e.g., windows, pillars), angularis (PROP. of that which has corners; hence, it can only be used of what both stands at a corner and is itself of an angular shape): in every corner, omnibus angulis; per omnes angulos (PROP. then also IMPROP. = all over, every where, Sen., Qu. N., 3, praoem. 6; Velleius, 2, 102, 3); ubique (everywhere): from all corners, undique: in no corner (i. e., nowhere), nusquam. The corners of the eye, anguli oculorum. To look at anybody or anything out of the corners of one’s eyes, limis oculis aspicere (Plaut.); limis spectare (Terentianus); limis oculis intueri (Plin.).

A hiding-place, angulus: recessus: latebra: latibulum (lurking-place): in a corner of Italy, in angulo Italiae: in every corner, in omnibus angulis: a small corner, angellus (Lucr., 2, 428, Farbig.) [☞ angululus is a wrong reading; Arnob., 7, p. 253]. To hide in a corner. (intransitive), in occulto or occulte latere [☞ in angulo latere, doubtful, Krebs]: (transitive) abdere (in aliquem locum); occultare. To be done in a corner, in occulto, occulte, sine arbitris, secreto, etc., factum esse [Vid: SECRETLY]. To hide himself in a corner of Cappadocia, se Cappadociae latebris occultare (Cic.; of Mithridates): good men should act, and not shut themselves up in a corner and give rules for others to act by, bonos facere oportet, potius quam inclusos in angulis facienda praecipere, etc. (Laclant. 3, 16).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for corner?: The usual Latin words for “corner” are vertō, angulus, recēdō; also latebra, latibulum, angulō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.