late 13c., from Anglo-French cornere (Old French corniere), from Old French corne "horn, corner," from Vulgar Latin *corna, from Latin cornua, plural of cornu "projecting point, end, horn" (see horn, n.). Replaced Old English hyrne. As an adjective, from 1530s. To be just around the corner in the extended sense of "about to happen" is by 1905.

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.