crossing

American  

[kraw-sing, kros-ing] / ˈkrɔ sɪŋ, ˈkrɒs ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that crosses.

2. a place where lines, streets, tracks, etc., cross each other.

3. a place at which a road, railroad track, river, etc., may be crossed.

4. hybridization; crossbreeding.

5. the act of opposing or thwarting; frustration; contradiction.

6. the intersection of nave and transept in a cruciform church.

7. Railroads. a track structure composed of four connected frogs, permitting two tracks to cross each other at grade with sufficient clearance for wheel flanges.

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crossing British  

/ ˈkrɒsɪŋ /

noun

1. the place where one thing crosses another

2. a place, often shown by markings, lights, or poles, where a street, railway, etc, may be crossed

3. the intersection of the nave and transept in a church

4. the act or instance of travelling across something, esp the sea

5. the act or process of crossbreeding

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Other Word Forms

• subcrossing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of crossing

1375–1425; late Middle English. See cross, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Home-insurance premiums can vary dramatically, depending on where you live: Crossing a county line can more than double the cost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Pokopia is a life simulator, mixing elements of genre favourites Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, with a hint of Minecraft-style building chucked in.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Crossing guard’s musings make her $14k a month.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

The few dozen men, most in their sixties, were headed to Nagano's Lake Suwa in search of a phenomenon called "God's Crossing" that has gone from reliable to elusive in recent decades.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

Crossing state lines one is aware of this change of language.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• bridge
• crossroad
• intersection
• junction
• overpass
• passage