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cross

[ kraws, kros ]

/ krɔs, krɒs /

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See synonyms for cross on Thesaurus.com

noun

a structure consisting essentially of an upright and a transverse piece, used to execute persons in ancient times.

any object, figure, or mark resembling a cross, as two intersecting lines.

a mark resembling a cross, usually an X, made instead of a signature by a person unable to write.

the Cross, the cross upon which Jesus died.

a figure of the Cross as a Christian emblem, badge, etc.

the Cross as the symbol of Christianity.

a small cross with a human figure attached to it, as a representation of Jesus crucified; crucifix.

a sign made with the right hand by tracing the figure of a cross in the air or by touching the foreheard, chest, and shoulders, as an act of devotion.

a structure or monument in the form of a cross, set up for prayer, as a memorial, etc.

any of various conventional representations or modifications of the Christian emblem used symbolically or for ornament, as in heraldry or art: a Latin cross; a Maltese cross.

the crucifixion of Jesus as the culmination of His redemptive mission.

any suffering endured for Jesus' sake.

the teaching of redemption gained by Jesus' death.

the Christian religion, or those who accept it; Christianity; Christendom.

an opposition; thwarting; frustration.

any misfortune; trouble.

a crossing of animals or plants; a mixing of breeds.

an animal, plant, breed, etc., produced by crossing; crossbreed.

a person or thing that is intermediate in character between two others.

Boxing. a punch thrown across and over the lead of an opponent: a left jab, followed by a right cross.

Older Slang. a contest the result of which is dishonestly arranged beforehand: Many of the onlookers, especially some who had bet heavily on Taylor, complained loudly that the fight was a “damnable cross.”

a crossing.

a place of crossing.

Plumbing. a four-way joint or connection.

Theater. an actor's movement from one area of a stage to another.

Also called cross-trade

[kraws-treyd, kros-] /ˈkrɔsˌtreɪd, ˈkrɒs-/ .Stock Exchange. an arrangement for the simultaneous sale and purchase of a block of stock handled by a single broker.

Machinery. spider (def. 6b).

(initial capital letter)Astronomy. Southern Cross.

verb (used with object)

to move, pass, or extend from one side to the other side of (a street, river, etc.).

to put or draw (a line, lines, etc.) across.

to cancel by marking with a cross or with a line or lines (often followed by off or out).

to mark with a cross.

to lie or pass across; intersect.

to meet and pass.

to transport across something.

to assist or guide (a person) across a street or intersection: The guard crossed the child at the traffic light.

to place in the form of a cross or crosswise.

Biology. to cause (members of different genera, species, breeds, varieties, or the like) to interbreed.

to oppose openly; thwart; frustrate.

Slang. to betray; double-cross.

to make the sign of a cross upon or over, as in devotion: to cross oneself.

Nautical. to set (a yard) in proper position on a mast.

Obsolete. to confront in a hostile manner.

verb (used without object)

to lie or be athwart; intersect.

to move, pass, or extend from one side or place to another: Cross at the intersection.

to meet and pass.

to interbreed.

Theater. to move from one side of the stage to the other, especially by passing downstage of another actor.

adjective, cross·er, cross·est.

angry and annoyed; ill-humored; snappish: Don't be cross with me.

lying or passing crosswise or across each other; athwart; transverse: cross timbers.

involving a reciprocal action, interchange, or the like: a cross-endorsement of political candidates; cross-marketing of related services.

contrary; opposite: They were at cross purposes with each other.

adverse; unfavorable.

crossbred; hybrid.

Verb Phrases

cross over,

Biology. (of a chromosome segment) to undergo crossing over.
to switch allegiance, as from one political party to another.
to change successfully from one field of endeavor, genre, etc., to another: to cross over from jazz to rock.
to die; pass away.

Also cross over to the other side .

cross up,

to change arrangements made with; deceive: He crossed me up after we had agreed to tell the police the same story.
to confuse: I was supposed to meet him at the station, but got crossed up.

OTHER WORDS FOR cross

29 traverse, span, bridge.

39 baffle, foil; contradict.

49 petulant, fractious, irascible, waspish, crabbed, churlish, sulky, cantankerous, cranky, ill-tempered, impatient, irritable, fretful, touchy, testy.

See synonyms for cross on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR cross

39 aid, assist, help.

49 good-natured, good-humored; agreeable.

See antonyms for cross on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about cross

bear one's cross, to accept trials or troubles patiently.

cross one's heart. heart (def. 24).

cross one's mind. mind (def. 37).

cross one's path. path (def. 7).

cross someone's palm (with silver), to give money to, especially in payment for a service: I shall tell your fortune, but you must first cross my palm with silver.

cross the line, line¹ (def. 68).

on the cross, Older Slang. in a dishonest manner; illegally: Her elegant clothes and those two splendid rings had been acquired on the cross.

take the cross, to make the vows of a crusader.

Origin of cross

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, late Old English cros, from Old Norse kross, from Old Irish cros (from British Celtic ), from Latin crux; see crux

synonym study for cross

49. Cross, ill-natured, peevish, sullen refer to being in a bad mood or ill temper. Cross means temporarily in an irritable or fretful state, and somewhat angry: He gave her a cross reply and walked out of the room. Ill-natured implies a more permanent condition, without definite cause, and means unpleasant, unkind, inclined to snarl or be spiteful: an ill-natured dog; ill-natured spite. Peevish means complaining and snappish: She's acting like a peevish child again. Sullen suggests a kind of glowering silent gloominess and means refusing to speak because of bad humor, anger, or a sense of injury or resentment: I know I haven't called, but why are you suddenly so sullen and vindictive?

OTHER WORDS FROM cross

cross·a·ble, adjectivecross·a·bil·i·ty, nounre·cross, verbun·cross·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby cross

crorepati, Crosby, Crosby, Bing, crosier, Crosland, cross, cross a bridge when one comes to it, cross-action, cross-addicted, crossandra, cross as a bear

Other definitions for cross (2 of 3)

Cross

[ kraws, kros ]

/ krɔs, krɒs /

noun

Wilbur Lucius, 1862–1948, U.S. educator: governor of Connecticut 1931–39.

Other definitions for cross (3 of 3)

cross-

a combining form of cross, used to indicate an interaction or exchange of two or more things (cross-addicted, cross-cultural, cross-pollination), the extension across a space or the covering of a distance (cross-border, crosscountry), or the passing across or perpendicular intersection with something (crossbar, crosscurrent).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT CROSS

What is a basic definition of cross?

Cross as a verb means to begin at one side of something and finish at the opposite side. As an adjective, cross means angry and irritated. As a noun, cross refers to a structure that resembles a lowercase t or any object that has this shape. Cross has a huge number of other senses as a noun, verb, and adjective.

When an object or living thing crosses something else, it physically moves from one side to the other, passes from one side to the other, or extends from one side to the other.

Real-life examples: A chicken crosses (walks across) a road. An airplane crosses (passes over) the Atlantic Ocean. A bridge crosses (extends over) a raging river.
Used in a sentence: She slowly crossed the rickety bridge.

As an adjective, cross is used to describe a person who is angry, annoyed, or generally in a bad mood. This sense is often written as “be cross with.”

Real-life examples: Teachers get cross when students don’t do their homework. A person waiting in line for hours will most likely become cross. Service people are told not to be cross with rude customers and maintain a sense of calm.
Used in a sentence: She was very cross with her brother after he forgot her birthday.

The noun sense of cross refers to an object made from a horizontal piece and a vertical piece to form a structure that resembles a lowercase t. This object has a huge historical and religious significance, especially among Christians.

A wooden cross was used by the ancient Romans in order to perform a crucifixion, a horrible execution method in which a person was bound or nailed to a cross until they died. Jesus Christ, an extremely important person in Christianity, was famously executed by the Romans by being nailed to a cross.

The cross or “the Cross” (meaning the specific one Jesus died on) is a holy symbol to Christians and a cross shape is often used as the symbol of Christianity. Many Christians have crosses in their homes or on their vehicles or wear one on a necklace.

Real-life examples: Most Christian bibles have a cross on the cover. Most Christian churches have a cross (or many crosses) on or inside the building. Many Christian works of art depict crosses or the crucifixion of Jesus on the Cross.
Used in a sentence: The priest’s cane had a cross painted on it.

Where does cross come from?

The first records of cross come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Latin word crux.

In Latin, crux referred specifically to the cross or wooden stake that was used to torture or execute someone. The modern English word crux can refer to a cross but also has figurative meanings.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to cross?

crossly (adverb)
crossness (noun)
crossable (adjective)
crossability (noun)
recross (verb)

What are some synonyms for cross?

What are some words that share a root or word element with cross?

What are some words that often get used in discussing cross?

How is cross used in real life?

Cross is an extremely common word. It often means to move across something, but the many Christian senses of cross are also quite common.

Helped a man with impaired vision cross the street when I noticed the audio from the lights was broken. He was very nice and bought me a coffee. I'd say that's a pretty good start to my day

— big shy (@Isca_SK) November 28, 2020

Mike is getting cross with me because he is watching Game of Thrones and I keep shouting DED randomly because everyone seems to be murdered.

— Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) January 2, 2013

Christ isn’t a symbol. He’s eternal. You don’t need to wear a cross to show you walk with him. Your words and presence should glow from him.

— Kaya Jones (@KayaJones) March 11, 2018

Try using cross!

Is cross used correctly in the following sentence?

The zebras stayed on the near side of the riverbank because the crocodiles made the river too dangerous to cross.

How to use cross in a sentence

By 2019, it had crossed 60 million mobile downloads, with 21 million monthly active users and 1 million paying subscribers.
The Biggest Challenge for Apple and Spotify in North Africa: YouTube|Eromo Egbejule|September 17, 2020|Ozy
The post Facebook Business Suite is a new cross-app management tool for SMBs appeared first on Search Engine Land.
Facebook Business Suite is a new cross-app management tool for SMBs|Greg Sterling|September 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
Then-manager Carl Robinson remembers seeing Davies in a reserve match in which he took off from his own penalty area with the ball and dribbled past three players before launching a cross.
A Canadian Teenager Is One Of The Fastest Soccer Players In The World|Julian McKenzie|September 16, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
In circuit boards, if the graph isn’t planar, it means that two wires cross each other and short-circuit.
A New Algorithm for Graph Crossings, Hiding in Plain Sight|Stephanie DeMarco|September 15, 2020|Quanta Magazine

By the late 1980s, researchers in Italy led by Antonio Cassone of the University of Perugia had started working out which cells were responsible for this cross-protection.
‘Trained Immunity’ Offers Hope in Fight Against Coronavirus|Esther Landhuis|September 14, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The Via Dolorosa ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and is marked by nine stations of the cross.
Oops! Jesus’ Last Steps Are in the Wrong Place|Candida Moss|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If they were meaningful, we might have realized it before—surely one of these kids wore a cross, or a yarmulke, or a hijab?
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The reason: activist government and unionized government often work at cross purposes.
How Public Sector Unions Divide the Democrats|Daniel DiSalvo|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What do you get when you cross an oil company with gay rights?
How Canadian Oilmen Pinkwash the Keystone Pipeline|Jay Michaelson|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But they refused to cross the street to help because, they told bystanders, the rules required them instead to call 911.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In cross-section the burrows varied from round (three inches in diameter) to oval (three inches high and four inches wide).
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula|Erwin E. Klaas
I cannot believe that God would think it necessary to come on earth as a man, and die on the Cross.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
At Jaques Cartier they had but one batteau to cross the army over with, and were fired upon during the whole time by two frigates.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Father Salvierderra said if we repined under our crosses, then a heavier cross would be laid on us.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
Pretty well for "a cross between an Astley's chariot, a flying machine and a treadmill."
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for cross (1 of 4)

cross

/ (krɒs) /

noun

a structure or symbol consisting essentially of two intersecting lines or pieces at right angles to one another

a wooden structure used as a means of execution, consisting of an upright post with a transverse piece to which people were nailed or tied

a representation of the Cross used as an emblem of Christianity or as a reminder of Christ's death

any mark or shape consisting of two intersecting lines, esp such a symbol (×) used as a signature, point of intersection, error mark, etc

a sign representing the Cross made either by tracing a figure in the air or by touching the forehead, breast, and either shoulder in turn

any conventional variation of the Christian symbol, used emblematically, decoratively, or heraldically, such as a Maltese, tau, or Greek cross

heraldry any of several charges in which one line crosses or joins another at right angles

a cruciform emblem awarded to indicate membership of an order or as a decoration for distinguished service

(sometimes capital) Christianity or Christendom, esp as contrasted with non-Christian religionsCross and Crescent

the place in a town or village where a cross has been set up

a pipe fitting, in the form of a cross, for connecting four pipes

biology

the process of crossing; hybridization
an individual produced as a result of this process

a mixture of two qualities or typeshe's a cross between a dictator and a saint

an opposition, hindrance, or misfortune; affliction (esp in the phrase bear one's cross)

slang a match or game in which the outcome has been rigged

slang a fraud or swindle

boxing a straight punch delivered from the side, esp with the right hand

football the act or an instance of kicking or passing the ball from a wing to the middle of the field

on the cross

diagonally
slang dishonestly

verb

(sometimes foll by over) to move or go across (something); traverse or intersectwe crossed the road

to meet and passthe two trains crossed
(of each of two letters in the post) to be dispatched before receipt of the other

(tr; usually foll by out, off, or through) to cancel with a cross or with lines; delete

(tr) to place or put in a form resembling a crossto cross one's legs

(tr) to mark with a cross or crosses

(tr) British to draw two parallel lines across the face of (a cheque) and so make it payable only into a bank account

(tr)

to trace the form of the Cross, usually with the thumb or index finger upon (someone or something) in token of blessing
to make the sign of the Cross upon (oneself)

(intr) (of telephone lines) to interfere with each other so that three or perhaps four callers are connected together at one time

to cause fertilization between (plants or animals of different breeds, races, varieties, etc)

(tr) to oppose the wishes or plans of; thwarthis opponent crosses him at every turn

football to kick or pass (the ball) from a wing to the middle of the field

(tr) nautical to set (the yard of a square sail) athwartships

cross a bridge when one comes to it to deal with matters, problems, etc, as they arise; not to anticipate difficulties

cross one's fingers to fold one finger across another in the hope of bringing good luckkeep your fingers crossed

cross one's heart to promise or pledge, esp by making the sign of a cross over one's heart

cross one's mind to occur to one briefly or suddenly

cross someone's palm to give someone money

cross someone's path to meet or thwart someone

cross swords to argue or fight

adjective

angry; ill-humoured; vexed

lying or placed across; transversea cross timber

involving interchange; reciprocal

contrary or unfavourable

another word for crossbred (def. 1)

a Brit slang word for dishonest

Derived forms of cross

crosser, nouncrossly, adverbcrossness, noun

Word Origin for cross

Old English cros, from Old Irish cross (unattested), from Latin crux; see crux

British Dictionary definitions for cross (2 of 4)

Cross¹

/ (krɒs) /

noun the Cross

the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified

the Crucifixion of Jesus

British Dictionary definitions for cross (3 of 4)

Cross²

/ (krɒs) /

noun

Richard Assheton, 1st Viscount. 1823–1914, British Conservative statesman, home secretary (1874–80); noted for reforms affecting housing, public health, and the employment of women and children in factories

British Dictionary definitions for cross (4 of 4)

cross-

combining form

indicating action from one individual, group, etc, to anothercross-cultural; cross-fertilize; cross-refer

indicating movement, position, etc, across something (sometimes implying interference, opposition, or contrary action)crosscurrent; crosstalk

indicating a crosslike figure or intersectioncrossbones

Word Origin for cross-

from cross (in various senses)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for cross

cross

[ krôs ]

Noun

A plant or animal produced by crossbreeding; a hybrid.

Verb

To crossbreed or cross-fertilize plants or animals.

Other Idioms and Phrases with cross

cross

In addition to the idioms beginning with cross

cross a bridge when one comes to it
cross as a bear
cross my heart and hope to die
cross one's fingers
cross one's mind
cross over
cross someone's palm with silver
cross someone's path
cross swords
cross the Rubicon
cross to bear
cross up

also see:

at cross purposes
at the crossroads
caught in the middle (cross-fire)
dot one's i's and cross one's t's
double cross
get one's wires crossed

cross

OTHER WORDS FOR cross

OPPOSITES FOR cross

Idioms about cross

Origin of cross

synonym study for cross

OTHER WORDS FROM cross

Words nearby cross

Other definitions for cross (2 of 3)

Other definitions for cross (3 of 3)

MORE ABOUT CROSS

What is a basic definition of cross?

Where does cross come from?

Did you know … ?

How is cross used in real life?

Try using cross!

Words related to cross

How to use cross in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cross (1 of 4)

Derived forms of cross

Word Origin for cross

British Dictionary definitions for cross (2 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for cross (3 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for cross (4 of 4)

Word Origin for cross-

Scientific definitions for cross

Other Idioms and Phrases with cross