cornerback

American

[kawr-ner-bak] / ˈkɔr nərˌbæk /

noun

Football.

one of two defensive backs back positioned in the secondary between the linebackers and safeties, responsible for covering the outside areas near the sidelines against end runs and pass plays.

cornerback British

/ ˈkɔːnəˌbæk /

noun

American football a defensive back

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cornerback

First recorded in 1965–70; corner + back ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Last season, the Rams thought their young and talented pass rush could compensate for their decision not to stand pat with the cornerbacks and safeties from the 2024 season.

From Los Angeles Times

With the next first-round pick in the deal in 2023, they selected Devon Witherspoon, who has been a Pro Bowl cornerback in all three of his seasons.

From The Wall Street Journal

Such is the breadth and depth of the threat it carries that Devon Witherspoon claimed a sack from cornerback.

From BBC

Retired cornerback Asante Samuel wrote on X: “Tom Brady I am highly I mean highly disappointed in you not rooting for your ex teammate, Mike Vrabel who is about to do something special.”

From Los Angeles Times

Christian Gonzalez is one of the top cornerbacks in the sport, having held opposing quarterbacks to a 50.6% completion rate when they targeted him this season.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023