/kruks/ , n. , pl. cruxes, cruces /krooh"seez/ .
1. a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point: The crux of the trial was his whereabouts at the time of the murder.
2. a cross.
3. something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.
[ 1635-45; crux ( interpretum ) (commentators') torment, a difficult passage in a text; cf. CRUCIAL ]
Syn. 1. essence, heart, core, gist.