noun
Etymology: cross (III)
1.
a. : a cutting or section across : a section at right angles to especially the longer axis of anything
b. : a piece of something cut off in a direction at right angles to an axis
c. : a view, diagram, or drawing representing such a cutting
2. : a measure of the probability of an encounter between particles such as will result in a specified effect (as ionization or capture) and commonly expressed as the effective area that one particle presents to the other as a possible target for such encounter — compare barn
3. : a composite representation typifying the constituents of a thing in their relations
a cross section of the people
• cross-sectional ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷( ̷ ̷) ̷ ̷ adjective