definitions

crossfire

or cross fire

[ kraws-fahyer, kros‐ ]
/ ˈkrɔsˌfaɪər, ˈkrɒs‐ /
|

noun

lines of gunfire from two or more positions or combatants crossing one another, or a single one of such lines.
a brisk exchange of words or opinions.
a situation involving conflicting claims, forces, etc.

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RELATED WORDS

intersection, junction, give-and-take, networking, shower, salvo, hail, fusillade, bombardment, storm, volley, blast, gunfire, burst, firing, attack, explosion, barter, shift, alternation

Nearby words

crossed hemianesthesia, crossed hemianopsia, crossed hemiplegia, crossed reflex, crossette, crossfire, crossfoot, crosshatch, crosshead, crossing, crossing guard

Origin of crossfire

First recorded in 1855–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cross-fire

British Dictionary definitions for cross-fire

crossfire

/ (ˈkrɒsˌfaɪə) /

noun

military converging fire from one or more positions
a lively exchange of ideas, opinions, etc
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-fire

cross-fire

n.

also crossfire, 1860, from cross (adj.) + fire (n.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper