crux

[ kruhks ]
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noun,plural crux·es, cru·ces [kroo-seez]. /ˈkru siz/.
  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.

  1. something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.

Origin of crux

1
1635–45; <Latin: stake, scaffold, or cross used in executions, torment; figurative senses perhaps <New Latin crux (interpretum) (commentators') torment, a difficult passage in a text; cf. crucial

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Other definitions for Crux (2 of 2)

Crux
[ kruhks ]

noun,genitive Cru·cis [kroo-sis]. /ˈkru sɪs/. Astronomy.

Origin of Crux

2
&lt;Latin: a cross

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How to use crux in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crux (1 of 2)

crux

/ (krʌks) /


nounplural cruxes or cruces (ˈkruːsiːz)
  1. a vital or decisive stage, point, etc (often in the phrase the crux of the matter)

  2. a baffling problem or difficulty

  1. mountaineering the most difficult and often decisive part of a climb or pitch

  2. a rare word for cross

Origin of crux

1
C18: from Latin: cross

British Dictionary definitions for Crux (2 of 2)

Crux

/ (krʌks) /


nounLatin genitive Crucis (ˈkruːsɪs)
  1. the more formal name for the Southern Cross

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