crucifix

American  

[kroo-suh-fiks] / ˈkru sə fɪks /

noun

• crucifixes
  plural

1. a cross with the figure of Jesus crucified upon it.

2. any cross.

3. Gymnastics. a stunt performed on the parallel rings in which the athlete holds their body rigid with their legs vertically extended together and their arms extended horizontally from the shoulders.

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crucifix British  

/ ˈkruːsɪfɪks /

noun

1. a cross or image of a cross with a figure of Christ upon it

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• crucificial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• crucifixes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of crucifix

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Late Latin crucifīxus “the crucified one” (i.e., Christ), noun use of masculine of past participle of Latin crucifīgere “to crucify; ” see fix

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crucifix crucifixes

Standing on a concrete pedestal, the statue will depict the pontiff with open arms, wearing his long papal robe and a crucifix around his neck.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Mission-educated, they live in a nice house with a crucifix on the wall and shelves full of literature.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

The crucifix and Elgin watch conjured Sunday mornings and the quiet pride of women who never stepped outside without dignity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

Someone knelt down and clipped a microphone to her lapel, a few inches from the crucifix that dangled from her neck.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2025

At the foot of the bed, beneath a crucifix, was a rough kneeler, and by it I knew that I had reached my destination.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

In a middle-class neighborhood, altars, crucifixes, and images of the Pope adorn the home of Joaquin Kawakami Effio, a 15-year-old who is considering the priesthood.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

A short drive out of Warsaw leads deep into farming country and small villages marked by towering crucifixes and Catholic shrines.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2024

The Roman Catholic Church has long been vigilant when it comes to supernatural apparitions like professed sightings of the Virgin Mary, weeping Madonnas or bleeding crucifixes.

From New York Times ● May 17, 2024

Originally, the boats were being transformed into crucifixes and nativity scenes, but the inmates who were already trained luthiers thought: why not instruments?

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2024

Island was the hair-and-nails crowd, chaperones, and icky boys with all their macho strutting and unbuttoned shirts and hairy chests with gold chains and teensy gold crucifixes.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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