I. ˈkrȯs also ˈkräs noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English cros, crosse, from Old English cros, from Old Norse or Old Irish; Old Norse kross, from (assumed) Old Irish cross (whence Middle Irish), from Latin crux — more at ridge
1.
a. : a structure usually consisting of an upright with a transverse beam used especially by the ancient Romans as a means of execution
the slave who revolted was fastened to a cross
— see crucify , crux commissa , crux decussata , crux immissa
b. often capitalized : the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified
the day when Jesus died on the Cross
2.
a. : crucifixion
the penalty of the cross
specifically : the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ regarded as the culmination of his mission of redemption
by thy Cross and Passion … Good Lord, deliver us — Litany in Book of Com. Prayer
b. : the gospel of redemption through the death of Jesus Christ
the doctrine of the cross , as the one great rule and hope of the world — G.A.Poole
3. : an affliction or trial regarded as a test of Christian steadfastness, patience, or virtue — often used in the phrase bear one's cross, take one's cross, or take up one's cross with allusion to such biblical passages as Mt 10: 38, 16: 24, 27: 32; broadly : any affliction, trial, or trouble
it was Ian's cross to be a social coward — Hamilton Basso
4. : sign of the cross
5.
a. : a device or emblem composed essentially of an upright bar traversed by or joined at the top to a horizontal one but found in many varying types and used by people of various cultures as a symbol having any of various meanings, or as an amulet, and adopted by Christians because of its resemblance to the instrument of Jesus' crucifixion as a symbol of the culmination of his mission of redemption through his death or as a symbol of the Christian faith, a Christian people, or Christendom, and also widely used without specific religious symbolism in countries having a predominantly Christian background — see calvary cross , celtic cross , cross-crosslet , cross of lorraine , greek cross , latin cross , maltese cross , papal cross , patriarchal cross , saint andrew's cross , tau cross
b. : something that this device or emblem symbolizes (as Christianity or Christendom)
to fight for the cross
6.
a. : a cross-shaped badge, ornament, or article of ecclesiastical furniture used as a religious emblem
b. : a staff surmounted by a cross or crucifix borne in religious processions ; specifically : cross-staff 1
7.
a. : a monument or other structure in the form of a cross or surmounted by a cross
a boundary cross
a cross over a grave
especially : a cross set up in the center or market place of a town
b. now Scotland : market
8. : a figure or mark formed by two intersecting lines or bars usually of equal or approximately equal length and crossing at or about their midpoints (as + or ×)
written in warm terms with plenty of crosses indicating kisses — L.A.Norris
the morning star, represented by a cross — L.H.Appleton
a single cross placed opposite one of the party names and counted as a vote — F.A.Ogg & P.O.Ray
specifically : such a cross (as in ink or pencil) used as a signature — see christcross
9.
a. : a badge or emblem of an order of chivalry or a decoration of honor having the form of a cross or of a number of rays, often more or less than four, radiating from a common center — compare cross of fourteen points
b. : one entitled to wear such a badge or emblem
he is a Victoria Cross
10. archaic
a. : a cross-shaped impression on a coin
b. : a coin having such an impression
11. heraldry : an ordinary having the form of a pale and a fess combined intersecting in the center of the field
12. : a pipe fitting with four branches the axes of which usually form right angles
13. : a piece of fur made of sections or of whole skins sewed in the form of a cross
14. : any device or emblem of an extensive category that includes not only the cross (sense 5a) in all of its varieties but also various other devices of which a cross forms a part (as the swastika) or which are analogous to the cross
as early as 317 B.C., the coins of Sicily bear the three-armed cross as a symbol — E.S.Holden
— see ankh ; compare triskelion
15. obsolete : a transverse part of an object (as the cross guard of a sword or dagger, the stock of an anchor, or the cross stroke on a letter t )
16. obsolete : a position wherein one thing rests over another in the form of a cross — used with in or on
17. archaic : the intersection of two ways or lines : crossing
18. : an accidental contact between two electrical conductors
19. : thwarting, vexation , annoyance
a cross in love
20.
a. : an act of crossing (as between breeds, races, or kinds of individuals)
his first cross of radish and cabbage was unsuccessful
b. : a crossbred individual or kind : a product of crossing
the blue-gray cross resulting from breeding a Galloway cow to a white Shorthorn bull exhibits outstanding beef conformation
c. : one that combines characteristics of two different types or individuals
a cross between a hiss and a spit — H.J.Laski
21.
a. : something that is not honest or fair (as a contest) : something fraudulent or predeterminedly dishonest
I never fought a cross or struck a foul blow in my life — G.B.Shaw
b. : dishonest or illegal practices — used especially in the phrase on the cross
he earned money mostly on the cross
— see double cross
22. : a motion that intersects or goes across: as
a. : a movement from one part of the stage of a theater to another or from one side to the other
b. : a hook crossed over the opponent's lead in boxing — usually used with right or left
I caught him off guard with … a lucky right cross — G.A.Hamid
Synonyms: see trial
•
- in cross
- per cross
[s]cross.jpg[/s] [
cross 5a: 1 Latin, 2 Calvary, 3 patriarchal, 4 papal, 5 Lorraine, 6 Greek, 7 Celtic, 8 Maltese, 9 Saint Andrew's, 10 tau, 11 pommée, 12 botonée, 13 fleury, 14 avellan, 15 moline, 16 formée, 17 fourchée, 18 crosslet, 19 quadrate, 20 potent
]
II. verb
( crossed also crost ; crossed also crost ; crossing ; crosses )
Etymology: Middle English crossen, from cros, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. : to lie or be situated across
the bandoliers crossed his chest
the point where the two braces cross each other
b. : intersect
the two lines cross each other at right angles
specifically : to intersect (one another) as pairs so that each member of one pair meets each member of the other — used in mathematics of two pairs of lines in space
2. : to fasten (a sail or yard) across a mast
the sails were crossed and the voyage begun
3.
a. : to make the sign of the cross upon or over : bless
pilgrims crossed by a bishop
the communicants crossed themselves devoutly and knelt in prayer
b. : to place a coin in (the hand of a gypsy fortune-teller) when paying for a consultation
c. : to place (one's fingers) in a crossed position (as the middle finger over the index finger) as a gesture intended to bring good luck, to free one from responsibility while telling a lie, or to indicate private reservations when making a statement
d. : to draw a cross over (one's heart) with one's finger as a gesture intended to indicate the absolute truthfulness of a statement
4.
a. : to cancel by or as if by marking a cross on or drawing a line through : strike out : eradicate — usually used with off or out
cross out a bad debt
cross names off a list
cross out portions of a text
b. obsolete : to cut off : debar
5.
a. : to lay or place crosswise usually with one above and almost parallel to the other
cross the arms
— often used with over
he sat down and crossed one leg over the other
b. : to arrange in a crisscross pattern
to start a fire first cross some dry twigs
c. : to place one's leg over (as a horse or saddle) : sit astride : ride
the best pony that was ever crossed
6.
a.
(1) : to run counter to : oppose
he was ugly if crossed
: thwart
crossed in love
(2) : to deny the validity of : contradict
cross a person's statement
b.
(1) obsolete : to encounter hostilely : engage in combat with
(2) : to confront in a troublesome or bothersome manner : obstruct
the ship was crossed by contrary winds
c.
(1) : to spoil completely : disrupt — used with up
his not appearing crossed up the whole program
(2) : to deceive, betray, or turn against — used with up
cross someone up on a deal
7.
a. : to extend from one edge or corner of to the other : traverse
a highway crossing the entire state
a forest that crosses the length of a valley
b. : to reach or attain
only two runners crossed the finish line
the number of accidents crossed the 1000 mark in July
c.
(1) : to go from one side of to the opposing side
cross a street
cross a mine field
(2) : to pass over on (as an elevated structure) from one side to the other
cross a bridge
cross a trestle
8.
a. : to draw a line across or on (as something already drawn)
cross one's t's
cross line A at right angles with a second line B
b. : to mark or figure with or as if with lines : streak
a mineral crossed with irregular yellow lines
c. Britain : to draw two parallel lines across the face of (a check) often with & Co written between them in order to indicate that payment is to be made only through a bank
if a check is sent it should be crossed and made nonnegotiable — Australian Home Beautiful
or to write or print between two parallel lines drawn across the face of (a check) the name of the particular bank through which payment is to be made
checks … should be made payable to “The Times Publishing Co., Ltd.,” and crossed “Barclays Bank Ltd.” — Times Literary Supplement
9. : to cause (an animal or plant) to interbreed with another animal or plant of a different race or kind : hybridize , cross-pollinate
improvements were made by crossing mongrel sows with imported boars — E.D.Ross
10. : to occur to
an idea crossed me once that he might be an actor — G.B.Shaw
— often used with mind
misgivings of every sort crossed my mind
11.
a. : to come upon : meet
cross an acquaintance on the street
b. : to meet and pass on the way because of setting out or being sent out at approximately the same time
our letters must have crossed each other
12.
a. : cross-plow
b.
(1) : to intersect the path in front of (the bows) of another ship
a destroyer crossed the bows of the transport
(2) : to ride across the course of (another horse) in horse racing or polo
13.
a. : to carry, transport, or take across
a man bold enough to take his chances could cross livestock to the Texas side of the river — F.B.Gipson
b. : to transfer (as from one side to another) — usually used with under or over
to tie the knot cross the right hand under the left
14. : to name as trump (a suit) of a different color from the card turned in the game of euchre
intransitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to run counter : be at odds — used with upon or with
b. : to ride across the course of another horse
the jockey claimed there was too much bumping and crossing in the race
2. : to move, pass, or extend across something
a path that crosses through the garden
a throw that crossed from left field to first base
the ship crossed over the equator
specifically : to pass from one side of the theater stage to another — used with over
3. : to lie or be athwart each other
the two highways cross nearby
4. : to meet in passing especially from opposite directions
our letters crossed in the mail
5. : to interbreed (as of two races) : hybridize ; specifically of a gene : to pass from one homologous chromosome to another — used with over ; see crossing-over
•
- cross a person's palm
- cross swords
- cross the floor
- cross the line
- cross the T
III. adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: cross (I)
1.
a. : lying across or athwart
the crazy tangle of cross wires — H.J.Muller
: extending from one side to the other
cross members should be all steel or metal or equivalent strength — Bookmobile Specifications
b. : moving across : traversing from one side to the other
cross ventilation
cross traffic
2. archaic : not accordant with what is wished or expected : thwarting, perverse , unfavorable
bowed down by a cross fortune
cross weather
3. : running counter : opposing , opposite
a cross wind
tugging on some issues in cross directions — New York Times
ideas cross to those of most other people
specifically : mutually opposed
working at cross purposes
4. : involving mutual interchange : reciprocal
a system of cross payments was worked out by the two governments
5.
a. archaic : contentious , fractious , perverse , contrarious
b. : marked by bad temper and irritable disposition : easily vexed : snappish , grumpy , peevish
a woman who feels that her future is uncertain … can be … cross with her husband and children — Harrison Smith
a cross answer
6. : extending over, covering, or treating several categories, groups, conditions, or classes — used chiefly in adjective-noun compounds
a cross -cultural perspective
cross sample records of … 1800 children — American Child
7. : crossbred , hybrid ; specifically : heterozygous for a recessive character
Synonyms: see irascible
IV. preposition
Etymology: by shortening
: across
the daily flight of an eagle back and forth cross the river to its nest — American Guide Series: Texas
V. adverb
Etymology: in sense 1, short for across; in other senses, partly from cross (I) , partly, from cross (III)
1. archaic : from side to side : across , athwart
2. archaic : contrariwise , unfavorably
3. : not parallel : crosswise , crisscross — used chiefly with verbs
to cross -wind wire on a spool