cross-country

[adjective kraws-kuhn-tree, kros-; noun kraws-kuhn-tree, -kuhn-, kros-]

adjective

directed or proceeding over fields, through woods, etc., rather than on a road or path: a cross-country race.
from one end of the country to the other: a cross-country flight.

noun, plural cross-coun·tries.

a cross-country sport or race.

Origin of cross-country

First recorded in 1760–70

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cross-country

Contemporary Examples of cross-country

On October 17, Rebecca More embarked on a cross-country tour of Britain.
The X Factor of Sex Invades Britain: Rebecca More’s ‘Sex Tour’ Enrages UK Politicians
Marlow Stern
October 20, 2014
To prove otherwise, Ford helped stage highly public events that got a lot of media coverage—including a cross-country race.
From the Model T to the Model S
The Daily Beast
September 24, 2014
Concerned by a larger issue like getting into business school, planning a cross-country move, or paying down significant debt?
How to Overcome Anxiety, Starting Now
DailyBurn
April 5, 2014
On its own, cross-country ski racing requires incredible endurance; competitors often collapse when they cross the finish line.
Why the Biathlon Makes Bonds of Us All
Brett Singer
February 16, 2014
Google searches: “How many calories does cross-country skiing burn,” “cross country skiers falling down gif”
So You Are Enduring a Temporarily Paralyzing Winter Storm
Kelly Williams Brown
February 15, 2014

Historical Examples of cross-country

Then followed what might be called an apprenticeship to cross-country flying.
Learning to Fly
Claude Grahame-White
They put Calhoun behind them, and Hart led them cross-country.
Ride Proud, Rebel!
Andre Alice Norton
Ever present in his mind are the three great 'cross-country queries.
The Aeroplane Speaks
H. Barber
The Hon. Alan Boyle makes the first cross-country trip, 1910.
The War in the Air; Vol. 1
Walter Raleigh.
Cross-country work he did not attempt; his machine at that time was ill-fitted for it.
The War in the Air; Vol. 1
Walter Raleigh.

British Dictionary definitions for cross-country

cross-country

adjective, adverb

by way of fields, woods, etc, as opposed to roadscross-country running
across a countrya cross-country railway

noun

a long race held over open ground

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

Word Origin and History for cross-country

adj.

also cross country, crosscountry; 1767, of roads, from cross (v.) + country, or short for across-country. Of flights, from 1909.